Patients contracted Sars-Cov-2 infections in hospital are largely transmitted by other patients and not by healthcare professionals. This is the conclusion reached by a study conducted by the University of Cambridge on a hospital outbreak that occurred during the first wave of the virus, published by eLife.
The researchers identified five wards at the university-run Addenbrooke’s Hospital, where several cases occurred over a short period of time, which could then be traced back to the same outbreak. The cluster was analyzed with a statistical method that took into account the genetic sequence of the patients’ viruses and the exact position in which they were hospitalized, thus reconstructing the dynamics of infections. Data on hand showed that out of 22 cases in which patients had been infected in hospital, 20 were of a patient-patient transmission, while only 2 operator-patient. As for the operators, the probability of contracting the virus from a patient or a colleague was comparable. “The fact that the vast majority of infections were among patients – says lead author Chris Illingworth – suggests that measures taken by hospital staff to prevent transmission, such as wearing a mask, were likely to be effective”: (HANDLE).
breaking latest news © Copyright ANSA
.