HAIs in VA facilities during COVID-19

Editor's Note

This study by researchers at the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Washington, DC, finds that the COVID-19 pandemic had a differential impact on healthcare associated infections (HAIs) of various types in VA facilities.

A total of 128 acute-care and 132 long-term care VA facilities were included in the analysis.

Among the findings:

• VA COVID-19 admissions peaked nationwide in January 2021.
• Significant increases in rates of central-line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), ventilator-associated events (VAEs), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) HAIs were observed in acute-care facilities.
• There were no significant increased in HAIs in long-term care facilities.
• No significant change in catheter-associated urinary tract infections occurred, and Clostridioides difficile infections significantly decreased.

The findings support the need for building and sustaining conventional infection prevention and control strategies before and during a pandemic, the researchers say.