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Course: Concordance of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Aerosols From a Nurses Station and in Nurses and Patients During a Hospital Ward Outbreak

CME Credits: 1.00

Released: 2022-06-08

Key Points

Question Is SARS-CoV-2 RNA found in aerosols in hospital break rooms and nurses stations during a nosocomial outbreak?
Findings In this cohort study, SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences in air samples collected at a nurses station were identified in all particle sizes and were identical to human samples from a nosocomial outbreak. Detection of aerosol-borne SARS-CoV-2 was statistically less frequent on units under surveillance (7 of 240 samples) than without surveillance (24 of 270 samples).
Meaning These findings suggest that nosocomial infection may result from aerosol-borne SARS-CoV-2 introduced by employees and patients into common hospital areas; surveillance may help reduce the introduction of SARS-CoV-2 into aerosols.

Abstract

Importance Aerosol-borne SARS-CoV-2 has not been linked specifically to nosocomial outbreaks.
Objective To explore the genomic concordance of SARS-CoV-2 from aerosol particles of various sizes and infected nurses and patients during a nosocomial outbreak of COVID-19.
Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study included patients and nursing staff in a US Department of Veterans Affairs inpatient hospital unit and long-term-care facility during a COVID-19 outbreak between December 27, 2020, and January 8, 2021. Outbreak contact tracing was conducted using exposure histories and screening with reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for SARS-CoV-2. Size-selective particle samplers were deployed in diverse clinical areas of a multicampus health care system from November 2020 to March 2021. Viral genomic sequences from infected nurses and patients were sequenced and compared with ward nurses station aerosol samples.
Exposure SARS-CoV-2.
Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was positive RT-PCR results and genomic similarity between SARS-CoV-2 RNA in aerosols and human samples. Air samplers were used to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in aerosols on hospital units where health care personnel were or were not under routine surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Results A total of 510 size-fractionated air particle samples were collected. Samples representing 3 size fractions (>10 ?m, 2.5-10 ?m, and <2.5 ?m) obtained at the nurses station were positive for SARS-CoV-2 during the outbreak (3 of 30 samples [10%]) and negative during 9 other collection periods. SARS-CoV-2 partial genome sequences for the smallest particle fraction were 100% identical with all 3 human samples; the remaining size fractions shared >99.9% sequence identity with the human samples. Fragments of SARS-CoV-2 RNA were detected by RT-PCR in 24 of 270 samples (8.9%) in units where health care personnel were not under surveillance and 7 of 240 samples (2.9%; P?=?.005) where they were under surveillance.
Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study, the finding of genetically identical SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragments in aerosols obtained from a nurses station and in human samples during a nosocomial outbreak suggests that aerosols may have contributed to hospital transmission. Surveillance, along with ventilation, masking, and distancing, may reduce the introduction of community-acquired SARS-CoV-2 into aerosols on hospital wards, thereby reducing the risk of hospital transmission.


Educational Objective
To identify the key insights or developments described in this article


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