Science AI Journal
Medicine · Research topic

Open research questions in Infection Control and Ventilation

32 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 535 Infection Control and Ventilation papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • for improvement DISCUSSION The findings of this study reveal a significant transition toward in Nasarawa State’s immunization program, alongside persistent operational sustainable energy and human resource challenges that threaten vaccine potency. A major strength identified is the widespread adoption of renewable energy, with 82.3% of primary healthcare facilities utilizing solar power as their primary energy source. This shift, supported by international International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health | June 2026 | Vol 13 | Issue 6 Page 2692 Ifezulike MA et al. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2026 Jun;13(6):2689-2694 partners like Gavi and UNICEF, represents a critical advancement in overcoming the historical barrier of unreliable national grid electricity in Nigeria. This high rate of solarization in Nasarawa consistent with findings reported by Kamala in Tanzania where equipment targeted regional improved through availability has assessments.1 However, in contrast to this modernization, the data shows a resilience gap, where 41.5% of facilities still face daily power outages and 38.8% lack any backup power systems. This mirrors challenges identified by To et al. (2019) in Osun State where logistics management infrastructure pushes.2 deficiencies persisted despite Furthermore, fridge solar observation temperatures rise to +10°C or +11°C during low sunlight aligns with findings by Falcón et al (2020) in Mexico where environmental factors frequently caused excursions outside the required +2°C to +8°C recommended range.17 that the of standard facilities systemic weaknesses A critical finding is the stark disconnect between the availability of guidelines and staff capacity. While 81.0% of operating had procedures available, 50.3% healthcare workers reported never attending formal cold chain management training. This high rate of untrained personnel is in alignment with identified by Dairo and Osizimete (2016) in Ibadan where provider practices were found to be more critical than equipment availability.16 This also mirrors the operational risks documented by Sow et al (2018) in Burkina Faso where to procedural knowledge did not always effective the optimism expressed by Sasetu et al (2023) regarding the acceptability of peer learning in Nasarawa.21 This study suggests that informal support cannot replace formal capacity-building, as half remains untrained in core protocols. translate temperature monitoring.4 In contrast to the workforce to the failed the study. This confirms Equipment maintenance remains a severe weakness, with only 55.1% of refrigerators serviced in the three months findings prior (2020) in Oyo State where of Babatunde et al infrastructure expansion alone to guarantee effective control under routine conditions.14 The 22.4% non-functionality rate forces health workers to incur outof-pocket expenditures for vaccine transport, a barrier that the more generalized system weaknesses cited by Burstein et al (2013) in their multicountry African study.5 Ultimately, the benefits of renewable energy are being lost due to a lack of human resource capacity and technical oversight. To secure the gains made in infrastructure, Nasarawa State must prioritize regular supportive supervision and systematic maintenance schedules to ensure vaccines remain potent from storage to administration. in contrast to is The implications of these findings for vaccine potency and public health are substantial.

    Health system determinants of vaccine cold chain performance at the primary healthcare facilities in Nasarawa State, Nigeria: a mixed-methods study · 2026 · DOI

  • This manuscript is a narrative review and not a systematic review; therefore, formal quality appraisal tools and meta- analysis were not performed. However, the focus remains on practical infection prevention gaps and implementable recommendations for routine mortuary and autopsy practice. CONCLUSION Autopsy is indispensable to medicine and law. However, transmission of infectious agents can occur through sharps injuries, aerosols, splashes, and contaminated surfaces. Recent evidence demonstrates that blood-borne viral infections may be present in routine autopsy cases without prior documentation, validating universal precautions.

    Occupational infection risks and infection prevention gaps in autopsy and mortuary practice: a narrative review and public health recommendations · 2026 · DOI

  • The study was conducted through an online survey therefore only nurses who had access to it were able to complete it. Also, since the data are based on self-reported responses, there might be information and recall bias. Since the study is cross-sectional, we cannot conclude any direct causality between dependent and independent variables. More specifically, our survey only addressed some aspects of knowledge, practice and attitudes; we therefore didn’t assess the reasons behind nurses’ will to quit or take unpaid leaves.

    The Assessment of Lebanese Hospital Nurses’ Qualifications in The Fight Against COVID-19: Are They Well Prepared? · 2026 · DOI

  • The aim was to (1) map and synthesize literature regarding emergency response protocol in supported living environments for individuals with NDD and (2) identify gaps in the literature of response protocols in supported living environments for individuals with NDD.

    Responses to infectious disease outbreaks in supported living environments for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders: a scoping review · 2022 · DOI

  • ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This study addresses two critical aspects that are insufficiently covered in the literature: how to prepare processes to safely implement emergency epidemic measures when needed, such as potential evacuation, and how to address unique challenges throughout an evolving pandemic for each carceral setting.

    Respiratory pandemic preparedness learnings from the June 2020 COVID-19 outbreak at San Quentin California State Prison · 2022 · DOI

  • Well-fitting face masks and respirators effectively filter virus-sized particles in laboratory conditions (2,3), though few studies have assessed their real-world effectiveness in preventing acquisition of SARS-CoV-2 infection (4).

    Effectiveness of Face Mask or Respirator Use in Indoor Public Settings for Prevention of SARS-CoV-2 Infection — California, February–December 2021 · 2022 · DOI

  • To suppress COVID-19 transmission, New York City implemented a workforce of community engagement specialists (CESs) to conduct home-based contact tracing when telephone numbers were lacking or telephone-based efforts were unsuccessful and to disseminate COVID-19 information and sanitary supplies.

    Community-Based Workforce for COVID-19 Contact Tracing and Prevention Activities in New York City, July–December 2020 · 2022 · DOI

  • BACKGROUND: In-school transmission of COVID-19 among K-12 students is low when mitigation layers are used, but the risk of acquiring COVID-19 during school bus transportation is not well defined.

    <scp>COVID</scp>‐19 Transmission during Transportation of 1st to 12th Grade Students: Experience of an Independent School in Virginia · 2021 · DOI

  • 9, 10 However, information regarding hilt vaporized material, such as dispersion distance, particle size, chemical and biological composition, is still scarce.

    High‐power laser and its implications in covid‐19 season · 2020 · DOI

  • These problems include a higher risk of coronavirus exposure for body handlers, shortage of cadavers for teaching and learning, a lack of standard regulations leading to unethical body sourcing and handling, and a lack of monitoring and collaboration needed for a well-coordinated Covid-19 pandemic response strategy.

    Covid‐19: Emerging Considerations for Body Sourcing and Handling. A Perspective View from Nigeria · 2020 · DOI

  • INTERPRETATION: Although N95 respirators appeared to have a protective advantage over surgical masks in laboratory settings, our meta-analysis showed that there were insufficient data to determine definitively whether N95 respirators are superior to surgical masks in protecting health care workers against transmissible acute respiratory infections in clinical settings.

    Effectiveness of N95 respirators versus surgical masks in protecting health care workers from acute respiratory infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis · 2016 · DOI

  • Purpose: There is insufficient data on physiological and psychological alterations that may occur among healthcare workers wearing various face masks uninterruptedly during surgeries or for air-borne infection protection.

    Comparison of different face masks on physiology and tolerability. · 2025 · DOI

  • Given marked variability in vaccines effectiveness and the lack of evidence of facemask efficiency in preventing spread of infection, all preventive measures should be used as a single package.

    Risk compensation (Peltzman’s effect) during the COVID-19 pandemic: A narrative review · 2024 · DOI

  • CONCLUSION: Mask mandates may lessen the incidence of respiratory infectious diseases in school settings during a pandemic; more well-designed studies are warranted to clarify further the evidence regarding mask use in school settings.

    Effect of Face Mask on Lowering <scp>COVID</scp>‐19 Incidence in School Settings: A Systematic Review · 2024 · DOI

  • Before the pandemic, coverage was limited to areas geographically proximate to the attacks and embodied themes of respiratory disease descriptions, heroism and patriotism and government involvement.

    “The lessons of 9/11 haven’t been learned”: World Trade Center cough syndrome reframed as a national news item during COVID-19 pandemic · 2023 · DOI

  • However, there is limited information to understand the settings in which most transmission occurs during lockdowns, to support refinement of similar policies for future pandemics.

    Settings for non-household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during the second lockdown in England and Wales – analysis of the Virus Watch household community cohort study · 2022 · DOI

  • Face masks have traditionally been used in general infection control, but their efficacy at the population level in preventing transmission of influenza viruses has not been studied in detail.

    The Effect of Mask Use on the Spread of Influenza During a Pandemic · 2010 · DOI

  • Given the sparse knowledge concerning influenza dose and infectivity via different exposure pathways, nonpharmaceutical interventions for influenza should simultaneously address potential exposure via hand contact to the face, inhalation, and droplet spray.

    Relative Contributions of Four Exposure Pathways to Influenza Infection Risk · 2009 · DOI

  • As a consequence, further research on the exhaled breath should be undertaken with symptomatic volunteers and would require the analysis of this wide range of particle sizes.

    Impact of Health on Particle Size of Exhaled Respiratory Aerosols: Case‐control Study · 2008 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Infection Control and Ventilation

Most recent work

Find a gap in your own Infection Control and Ventilation sub-topic

This page shows what the Infection Control and Ventilation literature already flags as unresolved. To narrow it to your specific question, run the guided finder — it searches the gap library on demand and checks candidates against 250M+ OpenAlex works.

Open the Research Gap Finder →

Related topics in Medicine

Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
989 open questions
Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education
607 open questions
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
448 open questions
Physical Activity and Health
436 open questions
Smoking Behavior and Cessation
402 open questions
Innovations in Medical Education
364 open questions
Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
363 open questions
HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
342 open questions
32 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 535 Infection Control and Ventilation papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

Tools for your next paper

Gaps & Literature SearchFind open questions in any field — 120,000+ open gaps mined from our own library.Pre-CheckIs your paper ready? A Tier 1–5 acceptance probability in seconds.Journal FinderA ranked shortlist of target journals from a 17,500-venue index.Duplicate Publication CheckerCheck prior-publication & salami-slicing risk across 8 sources.Citation GeneratorFreeA DOI or title → APA, MLA, Vancouver, Chicago, BibTeX, RIS. No signup.Graphical Abstract MakerFreeTurn your findings into a colorblind-safe graphical abstract.

Compare the category — Honest roundups of the AI research tools, ours listed alongside the alternatives.

Command palette

Jump anywhere, run any action.