Abstract
Objectives: Healthcare workers (HCWs), especially those working on the front line, are considered to be at high risk of nosocomial acquisition of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Little is known about the effectiveness of the recommended protective methods as few reports have described spread of the disease in hospital settings among this high-risk population. We describe the hospital-based transmission of SARS-CoV-2 related to non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in one of the main tertiary care hospitals in Oman. Methods: All exposed patients and HCWs from Royal Hospital were screened, quarantined, and underwent telephone interviews to stratify their risk factors, clinical symptoms, and exposure risk assessment. Results: A total of 46 HCWs and patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 after exposure to an index case who received 48 hours of NIV before diagnosing COVID-19 infection. Over half of the exposed (56.5%; n = 26) were nurses, 26.1% (n = 12) were patients, and 15.2% (n = 7) were doctors. None of the HCWs required hospitalization. Sore throat, fever, and myalgia were the most common symptoms. Conclusions: NIV poses a significant risk for SARS-CoV-2 transmission within hospital settings if appropriate infection control measures are not taken.
Keywords
Publication details
- DOI
- 10.5001/omj.2021.110
- Journal
- Oman Medical Journal
- Publisher
- Oman Medical Specialty Board
- Open access
- Gold open access
Cite this article
APA 7
Al Lawati, A., Khamis, F., Al Habsi, S., & Al Dalhami, K. (2021). Risk of COVID-19 Infection in Healthcare Workers Exposed During Use of Non-invasive Ventilation in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Oman. Oman Medical Journal. https://doi.org/10.5001/omj.2021.110
MLA 9
Al Lawati, Adil, et al. "Risk of COVID-19 Infection in Healthcare Workers Exposed During Use of Non-invasive Ventilation in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Oman." Oman Medical Journal, 2021. https://doi.org/10.5001/omj.2021.110.
Chicago (author–date)
Al Lawati, Adil, Faryal Khamis, Samiha Al Habsi, and Khazina Al Dalhami. 2021. "Risk of COVID-19 Infection in Healthcare Workers Exposed During Use of Non-invasive Ventilation in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Oman." Oman Medical Journal. https://doi.org/10.5001/omj.2021.110.
Harvard
Al Lawati, A., Khamis, F., Al Habsi, S. and Al Dalhami, K. (2021) 'Risk of COVID-19 Infection in Healthcare Workers Exposed During Use of Non-invasive Ventilation in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Oman', Oman Medical Journal. doi:10.5001/omj.2021.110.
Vancouver
Al Lawati A, Khamis F, Al Habsi S, Al Dalhami K. Risk of COVID-19 Infection in Healthcare Workers Exposed During Use of Non-invasive Ventilation in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Oman. Oman Medical Journal. 2021. doi:10.5001/omj.2021.110
IEEE
A. Al Lawati, F. Khamis, S. Al Habsi, and K. Al Dalhami, "Risk of COVID-19 Infection in Healthcare Workers Exposed During Use of Non-invasive Ventilation in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Oman," Oman Medical Journal, 2021, doi: 10.5001/omj.2021.110.