Every late summer, millions of children across the United States return to their classrooms, their adventures of summer often shared with newfound germs. These initial weeks typically witness a surge in respiratory infections, making children prone to coughs, sore throats, or runny noses. The situation becomes even more complex in the current year of 2025,…
Charlotte-based healthcare provider, Atrium Health, is making significant strides in its infection prevention efforts. Amid a steady decrease in respiratory infection cases, Atrium Health is easing its temporary masking and visitor restriction policies that have been imposed since January. The rollback of these precautionary measures will take effect across all Atrium Health and Atrium Health…
Renowned healthcare provider, Aurora Health Care, has recently announced an update in its policies related to infection control. Initiated in response to a surge in cases of respiratory illnesses among patients and staff, these policies necessitated compulsory masking and restricted visitor access. However, with the decline in illness cases, Aurora has now decided to revisit…
Half a decade following the Covid-19 pandemic, it seems the world is again on high alert as China battles with an epidemic of the human metapneumovirus (HMPV). Predicated on varied reports and an increasing number of social media posts, hospitals are reaching overwhelming capacities with the wave of HMPV infected individuals, and crematorium capacity is…
In the context of Emergency Departments (ED) and Urgent Care (UC) centers, a common sight might be patients awaiting care, some visibly sick and wearing masks, while others might be coughing incessantly, potentially spreading infectious particles, mask-free. This possibly infectious environment may raise questions in our minds: Could they have COVID-19, or the flu? Are…
A worrying increase in cases of Mycoplasma pneumonia, known colloquially as 'walking pneumonia', has been observed among children in the Des Moines area. The phenomenon correlates with trends reported by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention halfway through October. According to USA TODAY, 'walking pneumonia' is a term typically linked with acute bronchitis and…
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently released an influential new report on the understanding of respiratory infections, such as COVID-19, influenza, and measles. This revelation, catalyzed by issues emerging from the ongoing pandemic, is the culmination of two years of thorough examination by around 50 experts from diverse fields like virology, epidemiology, aerosol science,…
In response to soaring cases of respiratory infections, six major health systems from the Hampton Roads region in Virginia—the Bon Secour, Chesapeake Regional Healthcare, Sentara, The Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, Eastern Virginia Medical School, and Riverside Health System—are earnestly urging patients and visitors to don masks inside their facilities at all times.
This collective…