Alabama NewsCenter: UAB partners with ADPH to launch Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control
Alabama NewsCenter The University of Alabama at Birmingham has been awarded nearly $2 million by the Alabama Department of Public Health to support the establishment of the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control (ARC IPC). This new center will provide consultation and support services across Alabama. It was approved by the board of trustees of the University of Alabama System at its June meeting. The ARC IPC will bring together experts from the university and state to assist the ADPH Infectious Disease and Outbreaks Division in management and response to emerging and reemerging diseases. Key to the center’s mission is training and technical assistance to increase workforce skills. “Our efforts will work to enhance and support infection prevention and control efforts across Alabama’s health care and public health systems,” said Lisa McCormick, associate professor and associate dean for Public Health Practice in the UAB School of Public Health and director of the ARC IPC. “I am excited to be working with a diverse team of IPC experts to assist the ADPH in strengthening Alabama’s capacity to prevent, control and manage infectious disease outbreaks.” IPC experts are playing a critical part role during the pandemic through surveillance, detection, response, and prevention of future outbreaks. McCormick hopes the efforts will build capacity within the workforce combating COVID-19 and increase awareness of the need for and importance of professionals in the field. The pandemic has resulted in immense impacts on the economy, health, and social well-being of Alabamians. As of June, there have been more than 548,000 COVID-19 cases and 11,250 deaths due to the virus in Alabama. The state’s vaccination rates are lagging as new, increasingly transmissible variants, such as the Delta variant, are emerging. In addition, Alabama continues to see increases in cases of hepatitis A and RSV, into the summer months when concerns of vector-borne and foodborne illnesses increase. Suzanne Judd (UAB) “As a nation and state, we were really caught flat-footed by SARS-CoV-2 even though scientists had been warning that coronaviruses had the potential to create a global pandemic,” saidSuzanne Judd, professor, co-director of the ARC IPC and director of the Lister Hill Center for Health Policy in the UAB School of Public Health. “Working together with the ADPH will help us to be ready when a new virus or bacteria threatens the health of Alabamians. We will be better prepared to communicate risks to the public to help prevent future pandemics.” The center will provide training and technical assistance to local, district, and state health department IPC personnel, infection control managers, and nurses at in-patient and out-patient health care facilities and long-term care facilities, hospital epidemiologists, school nurses, and other infection control practitioners. “The UAB faculty and staff involved in this center have extensive experience in infectious disease prevention and control, epidemiology and surveillance, behavioral health, public health preparedness, and forecasting and modeling, as well as in implementing and evaluating public health programs whose purpose is to strengthen the current public health and health care workforce,” McCormick said. The ARC IPC investigators include Dr. Paul Erwin, Dr. Rachael Lee, Dr. Marjorie White, Dr. Sarah Nafziger, Dr. James Crosby, Bertha Hidalgo, Greg Pavela, Tamika Smith, and Judd McCormick. The ARC IPC is currently launching its efforts. Visit the website to request training or technical assistance, access infection prevention resources, see upcoming training opportunities or learn more about the center. For more information, with questions or to sign up for the ARC IPC’s newsletter, email ARCIPC@uab.edu. This story originally appeared on the UAB News website. Republished with the permission of the Alabama NewsCenter.
Alabama won’t reach White House vaccination goal
Alabama continues to have the second-lowest COVID-19 vaccination rate in the United States and will be far short of the White House goal of getting 70% of adults vaccinated by July 4. Alabama ranks only above Mississippi, according to numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Alabama, about 36% of the total population of Alabama has received at least one dose of vaccine, with most of the vaccinations going to adults. President Joe Biden has set a goal of having 70% of the adult U.S. population at least partially vaccinated by July 4, a percentage that Alabama will likely be far short of that percentage. “We won’t get there by July 4, but that does not deter us from encouraging people to get the vaccine,” said Dr. Karen Landers, the state deputy health officer. Landers said the state had paused vaccine orders as the state tries to use down the existing stockpile. But she said so far, the state has not had to return unused doses to the federal government. She said the motto is to “order what we need and use what we have.” Ryan Easterling, a spokesman for the Alabama Department of Public Health, added that the state continues to rotate COVID-19 vaccine stock throughout the state to avoid vaccine being wasted and that small amounts of vaccine are still being ordered as the need arises. Suzanne Judd, an epidemiologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Public Health, said the vaccination rates remain too low in the state to eliminate the threat of COVID-19. “Vaccine hesitancy is very serious right now in Alabama. We really have reached a point that folks are just trickling in to get vaccines,” Judd said. Judd said an estimated 30% of the Alabama population has antibodies from exposure, and that is providing a “buffer” along with the percentage of the population that has been vaccinated. However, she cautioned that natural immunity is expected to fade at some point. Health officials had expressed concern about a spike in cases following Memorial Day. However, Dr. Kiersten Kennedy, chief of hospital medicine at the UAB, said so far that hasn’t been the case at her hospital. “We are experiencing these tiny peaks and valleys. I would say on the whole things have remained pretty stable which is really reassuring,” Kennedy said. However, she said there has been a change in the median age of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 after the availability of the vaccine. The median age of COVID-19 patients at UAB Hospital has dropped from above 60 to around 40 or 50. State numbers show that people 65 and over are more likely to have been vaccinated than younger age groups. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Strained Birmingham hospitals ‘implore you to help us in this fight’ against COVID-19
The holidays are supposed to be the happiest time of year but, for many across our state and nation, this season of joy is fraught with concerns about COVID-19. And rightfully so. On Dec. 16, the Alabama Department of Public Health reported that, in the past two weeks, there have been about 50,000 new cases of coronavirus. To date, total hospitalizations statewide due to COVID-19 have reached 30,000, and some 4,200 residents have died since the start of the pandemic. Since March, more than 2 million Alabama residents have been tested for COVID and/or antibodies. Good news came to the state Dec. 15 when UAB Medical Center received nearly 11,000 doses of the Pfizer SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. UAB has begun the critical task of vaccinating front-line defenders – its employees and those of other hospitals – against the disease. Birmingham-area hospitals send open letter to residents UAB Medical Center and other Birmingham-area hospitals applauded Gov. Kay Ivey’s recent extension of the statewide mask order in an open letter to Alabama residents. The hospitals encourage them to continue being vigilant and to take every precaution to minimize the spread of COVID. In their letter, the hospitals noted the COVID surge this summer stressed the health care system. Even more concerning is the recent drastic increase in COVID cases, hospitalizations, and death. UAB pointed out that more than 600 COVID patients are in care at area hospitals, a 50% increase over the maximum number of patients seen this summer. Because of this increase in cases, hospital ICUs are filling to capacity, forcing hospital units to convert to COVID units, while also diverting resources to care for COVID patients. As more COVID patients fill the beds, extreme pressure is being placed on hospitals as they additionally care for patients with other healthcare needs. Already stressed with spacing and staffing challenges, the Birmingham-area hospitals reported that nearly 500 hospital staff members can’t work because of COVID-related issues. Staff who can work face longer hours and heavier workloads. UAB epidemiologist Dr. Suzanne Judd recently emphasized the importance of taking precautions during the holiday season. Judd pointed out that “behaviors in the community during the holidays could lead to increased spread of COVID.” Indeed, hospitals are starting to see the effects of the Thanksgiving holiday and are concerned about the coming holidays. “Gatherings greater than 10 people pose a substantial risk in terms of one of the people being COVID-positive and not knowing,” Judd cautioned in November. “Combine that with eating and drinking and socializing, laughing and singing, just as something that could lead to substantial COVID transmission, which then again sets us up for the holidays that come in December when people get back together again in those indoor spaces.” Calling for all Alabamians to help in the battle against COVID-19, the medical community has urged residents to forgo large family gatherings at this time. “Please consider avoiding travel and not mixing households,” the Birmingham-area hospitals wrote. “Even small gatherings of more than one household have proven deadly. Grab takeout to support a local business and eat at home with your immediate family. Set up virtual group gatherings to celebrate this holiday season so we can gather with all of our loved ones next year and not potentially lose them now to this virus.” Wash hands and use sanitizer to help prevent COVID-19. (Donna Cope / Alabama NewsCenter) Community can help in the pandemic fight UAB Medical Center continues to remind the public about easy things everyone can do to prevent COVID’s spread. In turn, the medical community can help keep vital businesses operating and the economy strong. Take these steps to help prevent illness and to protect Alabama hospitals’ resources for caring for patients: Maintain a 6-foot distance from others. Make sure that you wear a mask and that others around you wear a mask. Wash your hands and keep hand sanitizer available. Republished with the permission of Alabama NewsCenter.
