tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Am J Infect Control
. 2022 Jun 14;S0196-6553(22)00480-1.
doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2022.06.007. Online ahead of print.
Clustering of Covid-19 Infections among Healthcare Workers: Experience from A Tertiary Care Center in Saudi Arabia
Mustafa M Saad[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Bassel S Molaeb[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Zainab A Almoosa[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Fadi Mahmoud[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Bindu Sureendran[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Carmela Maranon[SUP] 2 [/SUP], El Shaymaa El Gamal[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Ahmed Sanad[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Basma Mowafy[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jaffar A Al-Tawfiq[SUP] 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Introduction: Coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) had a significant impact on healthcare workers (HCWs) worldwide. Understanding the dynamics of infection transmission is important to develop strategies to prevent its spread.
Methods: A retrospective study of a cohort of HCWs with COVID-19 from a single tertiary care hospital during the first wave of the pandemic. Epidemiological investigations and identification of clusters of infection were done prospectively.
Results: A total of 326 HCWs had COVID-19 based on positive polymerase chain reaction tests for SARS-CoV-2. Ten clusters of infection were identified; nine clusters had HCWs as the index cases while one cluster had a patient as the index case. The largest cluster involved 15 transmissions, and one cluster included a secondary transmission. Sharing accommodation and social gatherings were the commonest epidemiological links. The majority of infected HCWs had mild infections, 23 (6%) required hospital admission and 3 (1%) required intensive care; all fully recovered. Majority of infections (80%) were community-acquired. Living in shared accommodation was associated with COVID-19 (120/690 versus 206/1610, P value = 0.01) while working in COVID-19 designated wards/units was not associated with COVID-19 (52/297 versus 274/2003, p value = 0.13).
Conclusions: Clustering of COVID-19 was common among HCWs and related to shared accommodation and social gatherings, infection was of mild severity, and was not associated with caring for COVID-19 patients.
Keywords: COVID-19; Cluster; Healthcare workers; Hospital-acquired; SARS CoV2.
. 2022 Jun 14;S0196-6553(22)00480-1.
doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2022.06.007. Online ahead of print.
Clustering of Covid-19 Infections among Healthcare Workers: Experience from A Tertiary Care Center in Saudi Arabia
Mustafa M Saad[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Bassel S Molaeb[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Zainab A Almoosa[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Fadi Mahmoud[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Bindu Sureendran[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Carmela Maranon[SUP] 2 [/SUP], El Shaymaa El Gamal[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Ahmed Sanad[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Basma Mowafy[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jaffar A Al-Tawfiq[SUP] 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 35714707
- DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2022.06.007
Abstract
Introduction: Coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) had a significant impact on healthcare workers (HCWs) worldwide. Understanding the dynamics of infection transmission is important to develop strategies to prevent its spread.
Methods: A retrospective study of a cohort of HCWs with COVID-19 from a single tertiary care hospital during the first wave of the pandemic. Epidemiological investigations and identification of clusters of infection were done prospectively.
Results: A total of 326 HCWs had COVID-19 based on positive polymerase chain reaction tests for SARS-CoV-2. Ten clusters of infection were identified; nine clusters had HCWs as the index cases while one cluster had a patient as the index case. The largest cluster involved 15 transmissions, and one cluster included a secondary transmission. Sharing accommodation and social gatherings were the commonest epidemiological links. The majority of infected HCWs had mild infections, 23 (6%) required hospital admission and 3 (1%) required intensive care; all fully recovered. Majority of infections (80%) were community-acquired. Living in shared accommodation was associated with COVID-19 (120/690 versus 206/1610, P value = 0.01) while working in COVID-19 designated wards/units was not associated with COVID-19 (52/297 versus 274/2003, p value = 0.13).
Conclusions: Clustering of COVID-19 was common among HCWs and related to shared accommodation and social gatherings, infection was of mild severity, and was not associated with caring for COVID-19 patients.
Keywords: COVID-19; Cluster; Healthcare workers; Hospital-acquired; SARS CoV2.