F
rom the HIV crisis of the 1980s to the H1N1 pandemic of
2009 to the Ebola outbreak in 2014, Maureen Spencer, MEd,
RN, CIC, FAPIC, has seen a lot during her more than 40
years as a board-certified infection preventionist. But she's never
seen anything like what we're experiencing with COVID-19. "I semi-
retired back in December, and I've been absolutely swamped with
questions, concerns and requests for help," says Ms. Spencer, an
independent consultant based in Boston.
She's not alone. Guidance from infection prevention
experts is in high demand right now as healthcare profes-
Infection Prevention's Big Moment
Amid the COVID-19 crisis, a back-to-basics mantra emerges.
Jared Bilski | Managing Editor
• GOING VIRAL The coronavirus outbreak has spot-
lighted the importance of widespread adoption of infec-
tion prevention's fundamental practices.
