Investigation of a cluster of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infections in a hospital administration building | Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology | Cambridge Core
▻https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/infection-control-and-hospital-epidemiology/article/investigation-of-a-cluster-of-severe-acute-respiratory-syndrome-coronavirus-2-infections-in-a-hospital-administration-building/6DDF1B79BC1015D566938228D7561C00
Dans les cas d’exposition prolongée une transmission par #aérosols est possible malgré une #ventilation adéquate,
Objective:
To investigate a cluster of coronavirus disease 2019 (#COVID-19) infections in employees working on 1 floor of a hospital administration building.
Methods :
Contact tracing was performed to identify potential exposures and all employees were tested for #SARS-CoV-2. Whole genome sequencing was performed to determine the relatedness of SARS-CoV-2 samples from infected personnel and from control cases in the healthcare system with COVID-19 during the same period. Carbon dioxide levels were measured during a workday to assess adequacy of ventilation; readings above 800 parts per million (ppm) were considered an indication of suboptimal ventilation. To assess the potential for airborne transmission, DNA-barcoded aerosols were released, and real-time polymerase-chain reaction was used to quantify particles recovered from air samples in multiple locations.
Results :
Between December 22, 2020 and January 8, 2021, 17 co-workers tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, including 13 symptomatic and 4 asymptomatic individuals. Of the 5 cluster SARS-CoV-2 samples sequenced, 3 were genetically related but the employees denied higher-risk contacts with one another. None of the sequences from the cluster were genetically related to the 17 control SARS-CoV-2 sequences. Carbon dioxide levels increased during a workday but never exceeded 800 ppm. DNA-barcoded aerosol particles were dispersed from the sites of release to locations throughout the floor; 20% of air samples had >1 log10 particles.
Conclusions :
In a hospital administration building outbreak, sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 confirmed transmission among co-workers. Transmission occurred despite the absence of higher-risk exposures and in a setting with adequate ventilation based on monitoring of carbon dioxide levels.
Le PDF : ▻https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/6DDF1B79BC1015D566938228D7561C00/S0899823X22000459a.pdf/investigation-of-a-cluster-of-severe-acute-respiratory-syndrome-coronavir
These reports and the cluster reported here raise concern that airborne transmission might occur when individuals share the same enclosed space for prolonged periods despite ventilation that meets current standards