#62 Confronting the Storm: Infection Control in the Eye of a Hurricane

In the 5 Second Rule podcast by APIC, hosts Lerenza Howard and Kelly Holmes discuss infection prevention and control in the context of hurricanes with professionals, Lori Crow and Cindy Prins. From sharing personal experiences to breaking down the role of infection preventionists in such situations, the podcast covers a wide range of topics - from maintaining food safety during power outages to averting mold growth post-flooding. Listen to the IPC experts shed insights on the crucial role played by IPs and infection prevention measures during a hurricane.

Hosted by:

Lerenza Howard, MHA, CIC, LSSGB and Kelly Holmes, MS, CIC, FAPIC

About our Guests:

Cindy Prins, PhD, MPH, CIC, CPH, FSHEA

Dr. Cindy Prins is an Associate Professor in the Department of Population Health Sciences, College of Medicine at the University of Central Florida, and is part of the UCF Infectious Disease and Travel Health Initiative. She is an infectious disease epidemiologist whose research focuses on infection prevention and control in both healthcare and non-healthcare settings, and on compliance with vaccine recommendations. Dr. Prins is Board Certified in Infection Control (CIC) and Public Health (CPH) and is a Fellow of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (FSHEA).

Lori Zeringue Crow, MPH, MS, CPH

Lori holds a background in both microbiology and public health. After a career as a college microbiology instructor, Lori pivoted her path into public health by going back to school to obtain her MPH. Lori now works in public health emergency preparedness and response at a state health department. In that capacity, Lori is trained to prepare for and respond to all types of hazards that can impact public health. Two of the most common types of hazards her department encounters are hurricanes and flooding. Lori’s experience with the devastation that hurricanes can bring is not only professional, but also personal as she has lived most of her life on the Gulf Coast. Lori believes infection prevention plays a role in minimizing the impact hurricanes can have on people. She combines her microbiology and public health background to advocate for the inclusion of infection control in hurricane preparedness and response

Further Resources:

• How to build an emergency kit by Ready.gov
• General public health messaging before, during, and after hurricanes and floods. Covers food safety, mold, proper care of wounds, safe water, waterborne diseases: CDC Preparedness and Safety Messaging for Hurricanes, Flooding, and Similar Disasters
• CDC’s Safe and Healthy Diapering for Emergency Settings and Shelters fact sheet
• CDC’s Preventing Diarrheal Illness After a Disaster fact sheet 
• APIC’s Infection Prevention and Control for Shelters during Disasters
• Creating a food safety plan for hurricane season: Foodsafety.gov 
• 2023 APIC Emerging Infectious Diseases Task Force: Infection Prevention and Control for Shelters During Disasters
• Emergency Water Supply Planning Guide for Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities, 2019