The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared May 5th, 2023, to be World Hand Hygiene Day. As part of a major global effort to improve hand hygiene in healthcare, WHO launched the SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands annual global campaign in 2009.…
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a Consumer Update for the general public on how to use hand sanitizers safely and effectively. Hand sanitizers are regulated as over-the-counter drugs by the FDA. Besides use by the general…
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends and the Dental Board of California (DBC) requires standard precautions to be used for the care of all patients regardless of their diagnoses or personal infectious status. Standard precautions in…
Beginning April 3, 2023, patients and non-clinical staff will no longer be required to wear face coverings for COVID-19 protection in California healthcare settings. On February 28, 2023, Governor Newsom issued a proclamation terminating the California’s COVID-19 State of Emergency. Four days…
According to a new publication Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections through Hand Hygiene: 2022 Update in the February 2023 issue of Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, five medical organizations have published updated recommendations for healthcare personnel to protect patients and…
The United States is experiencing levels of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), seasonal influenza (flu), and rhinovirus/enterovirus (RV/EV) that are higher than usual for this time of year, especially among children. COVID-19 also continues to circulate across the United States. To…
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recommends that everyone 6 months and older should get vaccinated annually against seasonal influenza (flu), ideally by the end of October. Flu vaccination is especially important for people who are at…
In addition to patient screening for aerosol transmissible diseases (ATDs) as required under Cal/OSHA’s Aerosol Transmissible Disease Standard for employee protection, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) recommends that dental offices continue to perform COVID-19 patient screening. In addition…
On July 29, 2022, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a joint collaboration with the US Department of Defense to procure and make available reformulated COVID-19 vaccines to target circulating Omicron subvariants. Updated Moderna and Pfizer…
In response to growing alarm surrounding the monkeypox virus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched an informational website covering monkeypox, as well as posted online resources about the virus, including information for clinicians and FAQs. What…
