The Disproportionate Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Healthcare-Associated Infections in Community Hospitals: Need for Expanding the Infectious Disease Workforce.
Sonali D AdvaniEmily Sickbert-BennettRebekah MoehringAndrea CromerYuliya LokhnyginaElizabeth Dodds-AshleyIbukunoluwa C KaluLauren DiBiaseDavid J WeberDeverick J Andersonnull nullPublished in: Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (2022)
CLABSIs, VAEs, and CDIs increased significantly during the pandemic, especially in smaller community hospitals, most of which lack ID physician expertise. Future efforts should focus on better understanding challenges faced by community hospitals, strengthening infection prevention infrastructure, and expanding the ID workforce, particularly to community hospitals.