COVID-19 Case Rates After Surveillance and Vaccinations in a Statewide Psychiatric Hospital System

Thomas E Smith; Ian T Rodgers; Daniel J Silverman; Sally R Dreslin; Mark Olfson; Lisa B Dixon; Melanie M Wall

doi:10.2105/AJPH.2021.306444

COVID-19 Case Rates After Surveillance and Vaccinations in a Statewide Psychiatric Hospital System

Am J Public Health. 2021 Oct;111(10):1780-1783. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2021.306444. Epub 2021 Sep 16.

Authors

Thomas E Smith¹, Ian T Rodgers¹, Daniel J Silverman¹, Sally R Dreslin¹, Mark Olfson¹, Lisa B Dixon¹, Melanie M Wall¹

Affiliation

¹ Thomas E. Smith, Ian T. Rodgers, Mark Olfson, Lisa B. Dixon, and Melanie M. Wall are with the New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY. Daniel J. Silverman and Sally R. Dreslin are with the New York State Office of Mental Health, Albany, NY.

Abstract

Individuals with serious mental illness are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. The New York State (NYS) Office of Mental Health implemented patient and staff rapid testing, quarantining, and vaccination to limit COVID-19 spread in 23 state-operated psychiatric hospitals between November 2020 and February 2021. COVID-19 infection rates in inpatients and staff decreased by 96% and 71%, respectively, and the NYS population case rate decreased by 6%. Repeated COVID-19 testing and vaccination should be priority interventions for state-operated psychiatric hospitals. (Am J Public Health. 2021;111(10):1780-1783. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306444).

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19 / diagnosis
COVID-19 / epidemiology*
COVID-19 / prevention & control*
COVID-19 Testing
Hospitals, Psychiatric / statistics & numerical data*
Humans
Mass Vaccination / organization & administration*
New York / epidemiology
Quarantine
SARS-CoV-2
Vulnerable Populations