Risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission from universally masked healthcare workers to patients or residents: A prospective cohort study

Victoria R Williams; Lorraine Maze Dit Mieusement; Nicholas Tomiczek; Adrienne K Chan; Natasha Salt; Jerome A Leis

doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2021.08.024

Risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission from universally masked healthcare workers to patients or residents: A prospective cohort study

Am J Infect Control. 2021 Nov;49(11):1429-1431. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2021.08.024. Epub 2021 Aug 27.

Authors

Victoria R Williams¹, Lorraine Maze Dit Mieusement¹, Nicholas Tomiczek², Adrienne K Chan³, Natasha Salt¹, Jerome A Leis⁴

Affiliations

¹ Infection Prevention and Control, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
² Occupational Health and Safety, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
³ Infection Prevention and Control, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
⁴ Infection Prevention and Control, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: jerome.leis@sunnybrook.ca.

Abstract

In a multifacility prospective cohort study, we identified 116 acute care, 26 long-term care, and 67 rehabilitation patients who received direct care from a universally masked healthcare worker while communicable with COVID-19. Among 133(64%) patients with at least 14-day follow-up, 3 (2.3%, 95% CI, 0.77-6.4) became positive for SARS-CoV-2. Universal masking, embedded with other infection control practices, is associated with low risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from healthcare workers to patients and residents.

Keywords: COVID-19; Healthcare workers; SARS-CoV-2; Source control; Surgical masks.

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Health Personnel
Humans
Infection Control
Prospective Studies
SARS-CoV-2*