tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol
. 2020 Nov 13;1-21.
doi: 10.1017/ice.2020.1315. Online ahead of print.
Surveillance and Identification of Clusters of Health Care Workers with COVID-19: Multidimensional Interventions at a Comprehensive Cancer Center
Ella Ariza-Heredia[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Elizabeth Frenzel[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sherry Cantu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mary Carlson[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Georgia Thomas[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Fareed Khawaja[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Issam I Raad[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Roy F Chemaly[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Cases of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were first reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019. In this report, we describe three clusters of COVID-19 infections among health care workers (HCWs), not associated with patient exposure, and the interventions undertaken to halt ongoing exposure and transmission at our cancer center.
Methods: A cluster of cases was defined as two or more cases of positive COVID19 among HCWs who work in the same unit area at the same time. Cases were identified by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction testing. Contact tracing, facility observations and infection prevention assessments were performed to investigate the three clusters between March 1 and April 30, 2020 with subsequent implementation of containment strategies.
Results: The initial cluster involved HCWs from an ancillary services unit, with contact traced back to a gathering in a break room, where one of the employees was symptomatic, although not yet diagnosed with COVID-19, and subsequent transmission to 7 employees. The second cluster involved 4 employees determined to be community related. The 3rd cluster involved only 2 employees with possible transmission while working in the same office at the same time. A step-up approach was implemented in order to control the spread of infection among employees, including universal masking, enhanced cleaning, increase awareness, and surveillance testing. No nosocomial transmission to patients transpired.
Conclusions: This is to our knowledge the first report of a hospital-based cluster of COVID19 infections among HCWs in a cancer hospital describing our steps to mitigate further transmission.
Keywords: COVID19; cancer; clusters; health care workers; immunocompromised; mask.
. 2020 Nov 13;1-21.
doi: 10.1017/ice.2020.1315. Online ahead of print.
Surveillance and Identification of Clusters of Health Care Workers with COVID-19: Multidimensional Interventions at a Comprehensive Cancer Center
Ella Ariza-Heredia[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Elizabeth Frenzel[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sherry Cantu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mary Carlson[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Georgia Thomas[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Fareed Khawaja[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Issam I Raad[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Roy F Chemaly[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33183368
- DOI: 10.1017/ice.2020.1315
Abstract
Background: Cases of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were first reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019. In this report, we describe three clusters of COVID-19 infections among health care workers (HCWs), not associated with patient exposure, and the interventions undertaken to halt ongoing exposure and transmission at our cancer center.
Methods: A cluster of cases was defined as two or more cases of positive COVID19 among HCWs who work in the same unit area at the same time. Cases were identified by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction testing. Contact tracing, facility observations and infection prevention assessments were performed to investigate the three clusters between March 1 and April 30, 2020 with subsequent implementation of containment strategies.
Results: The initial cluster involved HCWs from an ancillary services unit, with contact traced back to a gathering in a break room, where one of the employees was symptomatic, although not yet diagnosed with COVID-19, and subsequent transmission to 7 employees. The second cluster involved 4 employees determined to be community related. The 3rd cluster involved only 2 employees with possible transmission while working in the same office at the same time. A step-up approach was implemented in order to control the spread of infection among employees, including universal masking, enhanced cleaning, increase awareness, and surveillance testing. No nosocomial transmission to patients transpired.
Conclusions: This is to our knowledge the first report of a hospital-based cluster of COVID19 infections among HCWs in a cancer hospital describing our steps to mitigate further transmission.
Keywords: COVID19; cancer; clusters; health care workers; immunocompromised; mask.