Infectious Diseases Epidemiologist Available to Discuss Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 & Practical Interventions for Preventing Spread of Disease (including Delta Variant)

The pandemic is clearly not over. COVID-19 infections are on the rise in all 50 states and around the world, and the CDC recently issued new guidelines recommending that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks indoors in certain parts of the U.S. The change in policy is in response to the surge in COVID cases and hospitalizations from the delta variant, which is a more transmissible strain of the virus. Recent studies indicate that a significant percentage of COVID infections were transmitted from person to person in healthcare settings.

Dr. Mark Stibich is an infectious diseases epidemiologist who has spent his career focused on helping organizations understand how pathogens spread and how to develop programs to prevent disease transmission. His expertise is combining scientific knowledge with practical reality to create real world solutions and interventions. He is available to speak about practical applications for stopping outbreaks, cleaning and disinfecting schools, healthcare facilities, businesses, and much more. 

“Things are moving extremely fast when it comes to guidelines and recommendations for preventing the spread of disease. People need guidance and help about what is practical, and what is not. Do we need to disinfect our grocery bags? No. But let’s talk about masks, air filtration and surface disinfection – these interventions play a major role especially when it comes to reopening schools and businesses. With the fast-growing number of people hospitalized with COVID, healthcare facilities face incredible challenges to prevent the spread of disease within their buildings. Per the CDC guidelines, you need disinfection to destroy the virus on surfaces if someone with COVID-19 has been inside your building,” says Dr. Stibich.  

“And while COVID-19 continues to dominate the headlines, there’s another very dangerous superbug – Candida Auris – that is wreaking havoc in U.S. hospitals and nursing homes. C.auris is a fungus that is extremely difficult to deactivate and conventional cleaning isn’t enough to remove it from high-touch surfaces. Studies show that less than ½ the surfaces in a patient room are properly disinfected when it’s being prepared for the next patient. Enhanced room decontamination protocols reduce the risk for healthcare providers and patients being treated in a healthcare facility. Additionally, antimicrobial resistant superbugs pose a known and continuous threat to modern medicine, which relies on effective antibiotics for treatments from C-sections to cancer therapy. We need solutions to maintain the safety of patient care environments.”

About Dr. Stibich: Mark Stibich holds Doctor of Public Health and Master of Health Science degrees from the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health and a bachelor’s degree from Yale University. He has conducted projects and research in Russia, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, South Africa, Kenya, the U.S., UK, Japan, Canada, Ecuador, the Netherlands and Brazil. A Fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and frequent speaker, Dr. Stibich has published more than a dozen scientific papers on ultraviolet light, infection prevention and healthcare associated infections, and holds more than 160 granted patents on infection control approaches. He is the Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder of Xenex Disinfection Services, a world leader in UV disinfection for healthcare facilities.