Phages, HIV cure research and more: The IDN cover stories of 2022
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In 2022, the front page of Infectious Disease News mostly peered beyond COVID-19 to showcase triumphs and progress being made elsewhere in the field of infectious disease.
We updated readers on bacteriophages, HIV cure research, and the lives of PharmDs.
Below is a list of cover stories we published in 2022.
In stewardship, trust is essential
In 2014, the CDC established The Core Elements of Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship to help hospitals improve their prescribing practices. Subsequent guidance for nursing homes and the outpatient setting were published over the next 2 years. Infectious Disease News spoke with experts about essential components of their institution’s programs and practices. Read more.
Rapid diagnostics instrumental to patient care
Rapid diagnostic tests — which became almost synonymous with COVID-19 — are instrumental to patient care, helping to improve antimicrobial therapy, patient outcomes and even infection control. We spoke with experts about the impact that rapid diagnostic tests have had on practice and the barriers to their use — including cost. Read more.
‘Trusted messengers’ can improve COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy
We spoke with vaccine and public health experts about the roots of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, including fears that the vaccines are experimental, and how clinicians can help address it. Read more.
HIV cure research: Trying to eliminate a virus that ‘hides out’
After more than 40 years of research and efforts, scientists have yet to find a cure for HIV — a complex virus that can be suppressed with potent medications to undetectable levels but not eliminated because of its ability to essentially hide out in the body. We spoke with experts about recent breakthroughs in research and promising advances in the ongoing effort to cure HIV. Read more.
Rediscovering phages: ‘We finally have the tools to harness them’
In the U.S. alone, the CDC reported that more than 2.8 million infections are caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens annually, resulting in at least 35,000 deaths. In a report from WHO that outlined dozens of traditional antibiotics in development, none sufficiently addressed this growing drug resistance. Fortunately, there is one nontraditional alternative that has shown promise in patients with resistant bacterial infections: bacteriophages, which are viruses that target and consume bacteria. Read more.
Prosthetic joint infections: A ‘dreaded’ complication
Joint replacement surgery is common for patients with arthritis or other joint injury and is usually successful in restoring function. However, data show that among the more than 1 million patients who undergo these surgeries annually in the U.S., a small percentage will develop a periprosthetic joint infection, which can be a serious complication. Read more.
PharmDs ‘have done more with less’ during COVID-19
Infectious disease pharmacists provide a broad spectrum of services for patients, but like other health care professionals, they faced many changes since the emergence of COVID-19 expanded their role. We spoke with PharmDs about the role pharmacists, including ID pharmacists, play in patient care and how that role has evolved in the pandemic. Read more.
PrEP at 10: Medication ‘added a lot of energy to HIV prevention’
More than 30 years into the fight against HIV, on July 16, 2012, the FDA approved HIV PrEP, which became a “game-changer” in the decades-long fight to end the pandemic because it created confidence in HIV prevention without requiring major behavioral changes. We spoke with experts on the 10-year anniversary of the approval of PrEP to discuss the progress and problems surrounding its use. Read more.
Solving the riddles of long COVID
Although the general understanding of long COVID has improved in the past year, many questions about the persistent sequelae experienced by some people after an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection remain. We spoke with experts about the complexities of long COVID, what they know now that they did not know before and what questions remain. Read more.
Pandemic created ‘perfect storm’ for health care-associated infections
COVID-19 placed a strain on infection prevention and control programs, highlighting vulnerabilities that existed before the pandemic, according to experts. Read more.