The Trump administration has reportedly terminated members of a health committee that provides guidance on limiting the spread of diseases to government agencies and hospitals across the country.

According to its government website, the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee’s (HICPAC) primary aim is to “provide advice and guidance” to the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and agency heads under their purview “regarding the practice of infection control and strategies for surveillance, prevention, and control of healthcare-associated infections antimicrobial resistance and related events in settings where healthcare is provided, including hospitals, outpatient settings, long-term care facilities, and home health agencies.”

Created in 1991, the committee has provided hundreds of guidelines to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with 9 in 10 of those advisories having been adopted over the years.

HICPAC members meet around eight times per year to review and develop these recommendations, which are also adopted and followed by hospital systems across the U.S. The committee’s guidelines range from promoting actions as simple as handwashing to providing insights on the best practices available to prevent the spread of bacteria, viruses or diseases, including mask-wearing, for........

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