“The Critical Role of Serious Infectious Threat Response Initiative (SITRI) in COVID-19 Management: A Study at the Veterans Affairs North Texas Health Care System”

A recent study published in the American Journal for Infection Control highlighted the importance of the Serious Infectious Threat Response Initiative (SITRI) in effectively managing COVID-19 for the United States population. With the increase in Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) globally during the pandemic, SITRI was conceptualized to support healthcare professionals in triaging and managing patients, daily clinical operations, staff queries, and preventing SARS-CoV-2 transmission. The study evaluated the utility of SITRI in efficient COVID-19 management of US veterans and found that SITRI was an essential service during the pandemic, helping staff devise protocols and retain routine prevention-focused efforts while managing the pandemic-associated burdens. The study also found that HAIs did not increase during the pandemic while SITRI was operational. The cost of SITRI including overtime payments for the staff was $360,000 between March 2020 and May 2021. The study highlights the importance of investing in IPC programs such as SITRI and training IPs to prevent adverse outcomes among geriatric COVID-19 patients.