Tale of Two Respiratory Outbreaks: Lessons Learned and Future Implications

Session Description: This session will share learnings from an organization that managed a Measles outbreak in their community, then applied those learnings as part of their COVID-19 response, and is now assessing how those learnings can carry into the future. The implications of these lessons lie beyond these two specific illnesses. The purpose of the session is to align those learnings, to show continual improvement by closing identified gaps, and to share those opportunities within the profession in the interest of patient safety.

The session will focus on themes that range from Infection Preventionists' role in Incident Command, considerations for setting up post-exposure prophylaxis clinics, considerations for specimen management, to creating electronic solutions that aid in rapid identification of exposed or positive individuals. The session will also discuss Infection Prevention's role in advocating for the necessary infrastructure adjustments to mitigate risks to patients and will provide examples of tools that Infection Preventionists can create to ensure an efficient and sustained response to an outbreak.

This session is applicable to Infection Preventionists across various competency levels. As we navigate a world where COVID-19 becomes endemic, masking will likely lessen in our communities. This, combined with the current climate of vaccine hesitancy, it is crucial for Infection Preventionists to identify learnings from prior respiratory outbreaks and build a frame-work for a methodical outbreak response. Capitalizing on these learnings is crucial so Infection Preventionists can be as prepared as possible for the next highly infectious respiratory illness outbreak.