Abstract
Objective: To evaluate if Healthcare workers (HCWs) at the frontline of COVID-19 response in a pediatric hospital are at an increased risk of acquiring SARS-CoV-2.
Methods: The Hospital Infection Control Committee (HICC) and virology testing records were combined to identify SARS-CoV-2 positive HCWs and study the transmission dynamics of COVID-19 over 6 months.
Results: COVID-19 cases in our HCWs cohort rose and declined parallel to community cases. Forty two out of 534 HCWs (8%) were SARS-CoV-2 positive with no fatalities. No clinical staff in the special COVID ward or ICU was positive. Significant proportion of non-clinical staff (30%) were SARS-CoV-2 positive. About 70% of SARS-CoV-2 positive staff had likely community acquisition, with a significant proportion having travelled by public transport or having a contact history with a positive case in the community. Twenty four percent of positive staff were asymptomatic and detected positive on re-joining test.
Conclusions: Sustained transmission of SARS-CoV-2 did not occur in our cohort beyond community transmission. Appropriate PPE use, strict and constantly improving infection control measures and testing of both clinical and non-clinical staff were essential methods for restricting transmission amongst HCWs.
【초록키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, infection control, Healthcare workers, pediatric, hospital, Transmission, healthcare worker, ICU, COVID, Cohort, Asymptomatic, HCWs, Transmission dynamics, Control, Community, PPE, community transmission, public transport, Contact, HCW, Transport, Hospital infection control, increased risk, COVID-19 case, measure, positive, acquisition, transmission of SARS-CoV-2, Committee, identify, evaluate, proportion, occur, Significant, declined, Appropriate, 【제목키워드】 COVID-19, Dynamics, worker, Mumbai,