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Transmission risk of severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to healthcare personnel following unanticipated exposure to aerosol-generating procedures: Experience from epidemiologic investigations at an academic medical center

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 November 2021

Sharon E. Fawcett
Affiliation:
Department of Hospital Epidemiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
Meghan S. Madhusudhan
Affiliation:
Department of Hospital Epidemiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
Emily N. Gaddam
Affiliation:
Department of Hospital Epidemiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
Matthew J. Almario
Affiliation:
Department of Hospital Epidemiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
Shawna R. Masih
Affiliation:
Department of Hospital Epidemiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
Dee Dee Klute-Evans
Affiliation:
Department of Hospital Epidemiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
Julie C. Johnson
Affiliation:
Department of Hospital Epidemiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
Clarise D. Stroud
Affiliation:
Department of Hospital Epidemiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
Judy A. Dolan-Caren
Affiliation:
Department of Hospital Epidemiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
Michael A. Ben-Aderet
Affiliation:
Department of Hospital Epidemiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
Jeffery Luria
Affiliation:
Department of Hospital Epidemiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
Margie A. Morgan
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
Eric Vail
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
Jonathan D. Grein*
Affiliation:
Department of Hospital Epidemiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
*
Author for correspondence: Jonathan D. Grein, E-mail: Jonathan.Grein@cshs.org

Abstract

Healthcare personnel (HCP) with unprotected exposures to aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) on patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are at risk of infection with severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). A retrospective review at an academic medical center demonstrated an infection rate of <1% among HCP involved in AGPs without a respirator and/or eye protection.

Type
Concise Communication
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America

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