tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Hosp Infect
. 2024 Oct 10:S0195-6701(24)00330-X.
doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2024.09.021. Online ahead of print. Non-pharmaceutical infection prevention measures in nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks: a retrospective multicentre cohort study
Isabella Dresselhaus[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Claas Baier[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Nicolas Reinoso Schiller[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Annika Brodzinski[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Milena Berens[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Monika Cristofolini[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Petra Gastmeier[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Christine Geffers[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Barbara Gärtner[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Frank Kipp[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Nico T Mutters[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Alexander Daniel Wollkopf[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Cihan Papan[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Simone Scheithauer[SUP] 3 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Hospital severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreaks are relevant for patients and healthcare systems within and beyond the pandemic. We aimed to explore the characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks and their infection prevention and control (IPC) measures during the different pandemic waves. A comprehensive structured template for SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks was developed and filled out by six university hospitals. The main outcome variable was outbreak size (OS). A total of 80 outbreaks and 734 infection cases were enrolled between 03/2020-02/2023. In the majority of outbreaks (85%) a contact tracing (CT) team was in place. In 13 (16%) outbreaks the CT team was exclusively responsible for CT, which was negatively linked to OS when adjusting for SARS-CoV-2 waves (Estimate (β)=-1.350; Standard Error (SE) =.274; p<0 .0001). Patients as index had a greater association with OS than healthcare workers (HCWs) (β=-0.29; SE=0.098; p=0.003). Additionally, the mandatory use of facemasks by patients in the presence of HCWs was negatively linked to OS (β=-0.237; SE=0.08; p=0.003). The frequency of patient screening during outbreaks varied considerably, whereby higher frequency screenings for SARS-CoV-2 were negatively associated with OS (β=-0.358; SE=0.109; p=0.001). Our data provides insights in non-pharmaceutical outbreak prevention and management revealing that the mandatory use of facemasks by patients in the presence of HCWs and a high patient screening frequency in ongoing outbreaks were significantly associated with smaller outbreaks. Further studies are required to allow for generalizability.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; cluster; healthcare-associated infection; infection control; nosocomial infection; outbreak.
. 2024 Oct 10:S0195-6701(24)00330-X.
doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2024.09.021. Online ahead of print. Non-pharmaceutical infection prevention measures in nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks: a retrospective multicentre cohort study
Isabella Dresselhaus[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Claas Baier[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Nicolas Reinoso Schiller[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Annika Brodzinski[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Milena Berens[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Monika Cristofolini[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Petra Gastmeier[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Christine Geffers[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Barbara Gärtner[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Frank Kipp[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Nico T Mutters[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Alexander Daniel Wollkopf[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Cihan Papan[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Simone Scheithauer[SUP] 3 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 39395462
- DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2024.09.021
Hospital severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreaks are relevant for patients and healthcare systems within and beyond the pandemic. We aimed to explore the characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks and their infection prevention and control (IPC) measures during the different pandemic waves. A comprehensive structured template for SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks was developed and filled out by six university hospitals. The main outcome variable was outbreak size (OS). A total of 80 outbreaks and 734 infection cases were enrolled between 03/2020-02/2023. In the majority of outbreaks (85%) a contact tracing (CT) team was in place. In 13 (16%) outbreaks the CT team was exclusively responsible for CT, which was negatively linked to OS when adjusting for SARS-CoV-2 waves (Estimate (β)=-1.350; Standard Error (SE) =.274; p<0 .0001). Patients as index had a greater association with OS than healthcare workers (HCWs) (β=-0.29; SE=0.098; p=0.003). Additionally, the mandatory use of facemasks by patients in the presence of HCWs was negatively linked to OS (β=-0.237; SE=0.08; p=0.003). The frequency of patient screening during outbreaks varied considerably, whereby higher frequency screenings for SARS-CoV-2 were negatively associated with OS (β=-0.358; SE=0.109; p=0.001). Our data provides insights in non-pharmaceutical outbreak prevention and management revealing that the mandatory use of facemasks by patients in the presence of HCWs and a high patient screening frequency in ongoing outbreaks were significantly associated with smaller outbreaks. Further studies are required to allow for generalizability.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; cluster; healthcare-associated infection; infection control; nosocomial infection; outbreak.