12th day of Christmas – Virus Exposures
Accidental needle pokes put health care workers at risk of contracting blood borne pathogens such as HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. Then there’s influenza strains such as seasonal, pandemic, avian, and swine. We are seeing antibiotic resistant strains such as MRSA becoming commonplace. Let’s not forget Ebola, SARS, TB and MERS. Health care workers put their health on the line every day by dealing with patients diagnosed and undiagnosed with a variety of contagious illnesses. For a resource on infection control, please check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention information found here.