Transferring inpatients between wards drives large nosocomial COVID-19 outbreaks – a study

A recent paper published in the Journal of Hospital Infection (08/12/23) looked to study the role of the hospital environment in the spread of COVID-19 and to measure associations between ward characteristics and outbreak size to inform mitigations.

The study found community admissions were lower in case wards vs control ward, whereas transfers between wards within the same hospital were higher. Wards with more transfers in the preceding fortnight were significantly more likely to experience a large outbreak.

The paper recommended safely minimizing patient movements, such as by asking clinicians to record the rationale for transfer, to reduce the likelihood of disease transmission.

The full study can be read here.

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