Two years after the initial U.S. response to COVID-19 revealed systemic gaps, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology translates lessons learned about all aspects of infection control, including equipment, staffing, data collection, vaccination, and more, into a series of steps to be taken now to prepare for the next pandemic.

In Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Recommendations for Balancing Patient Safety and Pandemic Response, APIC recommends that provider organizations include at least one infection preventionist on emergency response or incident command teams, run drills and scenarios for various communicable disease situations, and promote interdepartmental collaboration for cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization during a pandemic. APIC’s suggestions for policymakers include sponsoring “just-in-time” education and training in infection control across the health care workforce during a pandemic, incentivizing the next generation of infection prevention and control professionals, and funding the development of innovative personal protective equipment.