Source avec lien : American Journal of Infection Control, 51(2). 10.1016/j.ajic.2022.11.023
L’épidémiologie de COVID-19 a changé radicalement au printemps 2021 lorsque le vaccin est devenu largement disponible et que la variante Delta est apparue. Il était nécessaire d’identifier les défis actuels en matière de prévention des infections en raison de l’évolution de l’épidémiologie de la pandémie.
Introduction COVID-19 epidemiology changed dramatically in spring 2021 when vaccine became widely available and the Delta variant emerged. There was a need to identify current infection prevention challenges due to changing pandemic epidemiology. Methods Six focus groups were conducted via Zoom with APIC members in November and December, 2021 to elicit infection preventionists’ (IP) experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic after the Delta variant had emerged. Each focus group was audio recorded then transcribed verbatim. Content analysis was used to identify major themes. Results In total, 90 IPs participated (average of 15 IPs per focus group). Participating IPs described multiple issues they have faced during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic after the Delta variant emerged, including continuing challenges with personal protective equipment, changes in pandemic restrictions that caused confusion and pushback, the hope when vaccine first became available and then despair when there was more vaccine breakthrough than anticipated, staffing and medical supply shortages, overwhelming workloads, and anger towards health care personnel and IPs. However, IPs felt more valued by leadership, and reported greater internal collaboration and external coordination of care. Conclusions The second year of the pandemic brought ongoing and new challenges for IPs, but also better coordination of care. Strategic initiatives are needed to address the identified challenges, such as how to prioritize tasks when IPs are overwhelmed.