SARS-CoV-2 Surveillance among Healthcare Personnel

Summary

Healthcare personnel (HCP) are at risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 during their interactions with patients with suspected or confirmed infection with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) or patients with unrecognized infection. Given the novel nature of this virus, little is known about specific risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 transmission, particularly among HCP exposed in healthcare facilities. Furthermore, as community transmission has become widespread and hospitals and other healthcare facilities are caring for rapidly increasing numbers of infected patients, the burden of COVID-19 among HCP in U.S. healthcare facilities remains unclear. Additional information about characteristics of exposed and infected HCPs and associated risk and protective factors is urgently needed to inform guidance for healthcare facilities domestically and abroad to protect the healthcare workforce—a critical asset during this pandemic.

Goals & Objectives:

Determine the extent of COVID-19 among healthcare personnel (HCP) working in U.S. acute care hospitals (ACH) or other healthcare facilities;
Describe characteristics of HCP exposed to or infected with SARS-CoV-2, including clinical activities and personal protective equipment (PPE) use;

Activities

In CT, tracking of SARS-Co-V-2 infections among healthcare personnel (HCP) began in May 2020. Hospitals under surveillance in CT include the CT facilities of two health systems in the state. Yale EIP staff work with health system staff to identify HCP diagnosed with COVID-19. HCP with COVID-19 who agree to be contacted are interviewed to collect demographics, underlying medical conditions, roles in healthcare facilities, locations of work in the healthcare facility, locations of exposures (including community exposures), activities during exposures, PPE used during Covid-19 patient care, source control in patients, and duration of exposures. Yale EIP staff also collect denominator information from the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) or the health system on total number of HCPs in the health system stratified by characteristics such as job category and facility, where possible.

Data will be shared with each participating facility as well as aggregated and shared with CDC for further analysis.

Publications

To come.

Project Contact

Monica Brackney, MS
Program Manager, HPV-IMPACT
Connecticut Emerging Infections Program

One Church Street, 7th floor
New Haven, CT 06510

203-737-6978

Monica.Brackney@yale.edu

Staff

Adeline Morris