from the editor
from the editor
An Innovative Approach to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Prevention Measures During the Pandemic
wanted to bring to your attention a
I recent study from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine that used electronic health and contact tracing records in an innovative approach to evaluate the effectiveness of those prevention measures implemented in the healthcare setting during the last three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic . The researchers analyzed the genetic makeup of the SARS-CoV-2 virus combined with the comparison of how the diverse strains were physically being spread among patients and healthcare workers in the hospital .
As we know , as routine protocol during the height of the pandemic , hospitals mandated universal masking of healthcare workers and patients at the hospital and regular SARS-CoV-2 testing of all healthcare workers and patients upon admission , regardless of symptoms , and strict isolation protocols for those infected with the virus .
UCSD researchers found that the implemented infection prevention parameters in the healthcare setting , including ventilation standards of at least five clean air changes per hour , combined with universal masking , prevented most SARS-CoV-2 transmissions . In patients who tested positive for the virus , and personal protective equipment ( PPE ) virtually eliminated healthcare-associated transmission .
“ When the pandemic started , it was scary because initially we did not have rapid diagnostic nor treatments available , and we did not fully understand how the virus was transmitted or if our infection prevention protocols were adequate ,” says Francesca Torriani , MD , senior author of the study , program director of infection prevention , and an infectious disease specialist at UC San Diego Health . “ Therefore , the potential implications of the virus and the welfare of our workforce and patients was of utmost concern . I witnessed healthcare workers
healthcarehygienemagazine
editor & publisher
president & cfo art director customer service manager
Send inquiries to : team @ keystonemediainc . com
Kelly M . Pyrek kelly @ healthcarehygienemagazine . com
A . G . Hettinger , CPA Patti Valdez J . Christine Phillips
fearful of contracting the virus at work and potentially infecting their loved ones at home .”
Torriani adds that limiting the spread of infection and blocking the virus at the source became the highest priority . “ In response to the progressing pandemic and with the trust and support from executive leadership at UC San Diego Health , we learned many life-saving lessons and strengthened infection prevention and control measures to reduce the risk of transmission between patients and healthcare workers . The swift adoption and modification of infection prevention protocols in healthcare were felt to be an opportunity for deeper exploration of the effectiveness of our procedures .”
The researchers evaluated the different variants of the samples to identify if healthcare personnel were temporarily or physically near one another , suggesting healthcare transmission . EHR data of patients , whose identities were protected throughout the study , and metadata about staff access and movement to these records , accompanied by a robust contact tracing program , were used to classify , isolate and assess individuals exposed to specific strains of the virus .
“ While the virus strains were very distinguishable in the second and third wave of the pandemic , during the explosive and homogenous Omicron wave , we found that we could not rely on genetic data alone ,” says Christopher Longhurst , MD , co-author of the study , executive director of Jacobs Center for Health Innovation , and chief medical officer and chief digital officer at UC San Diego Health . “ We had to dive deeper into the electronic documentation and social network analysis , such as individuals with similar virus strains , and considering their physical interaction in the hospital , to determine what really happened and how the virus was being spread .”
Healthcare Hygiene magazine is published monthly by Keystone Media Inc . 8955 Ridgeline Blvd ., Suite 500 , Highlands Ranch , CO 80129 . Free digital subscriptions available at www . healthcarehygienemagazine . com for U . S ., Canada and other foreign subscribers . Copyright © 2024 Keystone Media Inc . All rights reserved . The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject any advertising or editorial material . Advertisers , and / or their agents , assume the responsibility for all content of published advertisements and assume responsibility for any claims against the publisher
Researchers examined the genetic makeup of SARS-CoV-2 during three consecutive waves and compared how closely a person ’ s genetic variant was related to another ’ s . The study involved the collection of 12,933 virus samples from 35,666 patients and healthcare professionals from Nov . 1 , 2020 to Feb . 27 , 2022 .
“ Even when hundreds of healthcare workers were becoming infected every week during the peak of the Omicron wave , we found that they were no more likely to acquire the virus in the hospital system ,” says Joel Wertheim , PhD , co-senior author of the study and associate professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine . “ The outcomes reveal the hidden patterns of viral transmission .”
The results from both the genetic and social networking analysis showed that while universal masking was key to prevent transmissions , airborne negative pressure rooms , universal N95 respirator masks or even closing the door of a patient ’ s room were not essential elements to protect against transmission in the healthcare setting . In fact , most transmissions occurred outside of the healthcare setting , physical contact in the community , between households or when universal masking was not followed in the setting of unrecognized SARS-CoV-2 infection . Viral transmission was more likely to occur in shared spaces , such as breakrooms or lobbies .
Until next month , bust those bugs !
Kelly M . Pyrek Editor and Publisher kelly @ healthcarehygienemagazine . com
Reference : Keehner J , Abeles SR , Longhurst CA , et al . Integrated Genomic and Social Network Analyses of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Transmission in the Healthcare Setting . Clinical Infectious Diseases . Jan . 16 , 2024 . https :// doi . org / 10.1093 / cid / ciad738
based on the advertisement . Editorial contributors assume responsibility for their published works and assume responsibility for any claims against the publisher based on the published work . All items submitted to Healthcare Hygiene magazine become the sole property of Keystone Media Inc . Editorial content may not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher . No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means , including information storage and retrieval systems , without permission in writing from the publisher .
6 • www . healthcarehygienemagazine . com • february 2024