Study Finds Best Practices Prevent Coronavirus in Health Care Facilities

As the number of coronavirus cases continues to increase in the United States, infection control specialists may be afraid the disease’s spread through health care facilities is inevitable once they start treating patients with COVID-19. A new study published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology will give hope to these specialists. Researchers from Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong reported than none of the hospital workers contracted COVID-19 and no hospital-acquired cases were identified, even though the hospital tested 1,275 suspected cases and treated 42 active cases, Health 24 reports.

Out of 413 healthcare workers who treated confirmed cases, 11 had unprotected exposure and were quarantined for 14 days. None of the 11 became ill.

Researchers studying the hospital credit vigilance in hand-hygiene, the wearing of surgical masks in the hospital, and appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) as key in preventing hospital transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Queen Mary Hospital was among Hong Kong’s 43 public hospitals that widened screening criteria to determine if patients may have come into contact with the coronavirus. When the screening process identified a patient at risk, the hospital immediately isolated the patient in an airborne infection isolation room or in a ward with at least a meter of space between patients.

Each hospital put strict infection control measures in place, including training on the use of personal protective equipment, staff forums on infection control, face-to-face education sessions, and regular hand-hygiene compliance assessments.

Learn about the latest recommendations to stop the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus such as tip sheets on appropriate PPE and disinfectants.