Nurse epidemiologist details CDC’s latest guidance on masks

On March 10, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released interim infection prevention and control recommendations for COVID-19, which included changes to longstanding infection control practices in light of supply-chain disruptions. The guidance recommended using regular surgical face masks rather than N95 respirators and placing potentially infectious patients and those with confirmed COVID-19 infection in closed private rooms rather than in negative pressure isolation rooms. Writing in the American Journal of Nursing’s blog, Betsy Todd, MPH, RN, explained the CDC’s rationale and the implications of these changes for nurses. (AJN blog post, 3/13/20)