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Contact Screening for Healthcare Workers Exposed to Patients with COVID-19

Author

Listed:
  • Luca Coppeta

    (Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy)

  • Giuseppina Somma

    (Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy)

  • Lorenzo Ippoliti

    (School of Occupational Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy)

  • Cristiana Ferrari

    (School of Occupational Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy)

  • Iacopo D’Alessandro

    (School of Occupational Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy)

  • Antonio Pietroiusti

    (Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy)

  • Marco Trabucco Aurilio

    (Department of Medicine and Health Sciences “V. Tiberio”, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy)

Abstract

In China and Italy, many cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have occurred among healthcare workers (HCWs). Prompt identification, isolation and contact tracing of COVID-19 cases are key elements in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to evaluate the rate of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among HCWs exposed to patients with COVID-19 in relation to the main determinants of exposure. To assess the risk of exposure, we performed active symptom monitoring in 1006 HCWs identified as contacts of COVID19 cases. The presence of symptoms was statistically associated with a positive nasopharyngeal swab result. Only one subject was asymptomatic at the time of positive test. These data suggest that clinical history may help in the selection of subjects to be investigated by means of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in the case of a shortage of diagnostic resources. We found that close contact (within 2 m for 15 min or more) was not statistically related to contagion. Regarding the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), only the use of facial masks was inversely related to the chance of becoming infected ( p < 0.01). In conclusion, our data show that unprotected contacts between HCWs should be considered a major route of HCW contagion, suggesting that the use of facial masks should be implemented even in settings where known patients with COVID-19 are not present.

Suggested Citation

  • Luca Coppeta & Giuseppina Somma & Lorenzo Ippoliti & Cristiana Ferrari & Iacopo D’Alessandro & Antonio Pietroiusti & Marco Trabucco Aurilio, 2020. "Contact Screening for Healthcare Workers Exposed to Patients with COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-7, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:23:p:9082-:d:457272
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Yueli Mei & Xiuyun Guo & Zhihao Chen & Yingzhi Chen, 2022. "An Effective Mechanism for the Early Detection and Containment of Healthcare Worker Infections in the Setting of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Synthesis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-20, May.
    2. Marco Trabucco Aurilio & Francesco Saverio Mennini & Claudia Nardone & Andrea Piccioni & Matteo Bolcato & Vincenzo Russo & Valerio Sciannamea & Raffaele Migliorini & Luca Coppeta & Andrea Magrini, 2022. "Health and Economic Impact of Atrial Fibrillation of Workers in Italy: Social Security Benefits," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-8, February.
    3. Francesco Saverio Mennini & Marco Trabucco Aurilio & Simone Gazzillo & Claudia Nardone & Paolo Sciattella & Andrea Marcellusi & Raffaele Migliorini & Valerio Sciannamea & Andrea Piccioni & Matteo Bolc, 2021. "An Analysis of the Social and Economic Costs of Breast Cancer in Italy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-12, August.
    4. Matteo Bolcato & Marco Trabucco Aurilio & Giulio Di Mizio & Andrea Piccioni & Alessandro Feola & Alessandro Bonsignore & Camilla Tettamanti & Rosagemma Ciliberti & Daniele Rodriguez & Anna Aprile, 2021. "The Difficult Balance between Ensuring the Right of Nursing Home Residents to Communication and Their Safety," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-11, March.

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