Rapid Control of Hospital-Based Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Omicron Clusters Through Daily Testing and Universal Use of N95 Respirators

Meghan A Baker; Chanu Rhee; Robert Tucker; Amy Badwaik; Cassie Coughlin; Meghan A Holtzman; Candace Hsieh; Angela Maguire; Elizabeth Mermel Blaeser; Saranya Seetharaman; Ofelia Solem; Vineeta Vaidya; Michael Klompas

doi:10.1093/cid/ciac113

Rapid Control of Hospital-Based Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Omicron Clusters Through Daily Testing and Universal Use of N95 Respirators

Clin Infect Dis. 2022 Aug 24;75(1):e296-e299. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciac113.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
² Infection Control Department, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
³ Infection Control Department, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Abstract

The highly contagious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Omicron variant increases risk for nosocomial transmission despite universal masking, admission testing, and symptom screening. We report large increases in hospital-onset infections and 2 unit-based clusters. The clusters rapidly abated after instituting universal N95 respirators and daily testing. Broader use of these strategies may prevent nosocomial transmissions.

Keywords: Omicron variant; SARS-CoV-2; nosocomial infection.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / prevention & control
Cross Infection* / prevention & control
Hospitals
Humans
N95 Respirators
SARS-CoV-2

Supplementary concepts

SARS-CoV-2 variants