Risk of COVID-19 Infection in Healthcare Workers Exposed during Use of Non-Invasive Ventilation in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Oman

• Published in: Oman medical journal Vol. 36; no. 2; pp. 1 - 3
• Main Authors: Al Dalhami , Khazina, Al Lawati , Adil, Al Habsi , Samiha, Khamis , Faryal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Muscat - Oman Oman Medical Specialty Board 01.03.2021; OMJ
• Subjects: Brief Communication; CORONAVIRUS; Coronavirus infections; covid-19; COVID-19 (Disease); Diagnosis; Employees; Evaluation; health personnel; Health risk assessment; HOSPITALS; INFECTION; infection control; Medical care; non-invasive ventilation; OMAN; Prevention; PRIMARY HEALTH CARE; RISK ASSESSMENT; SARS (Disease); sars-cov-2; Symptoms; VENTILATION; WORKERS; التهوية (مباني); الرعاية الصحية الأولية; العاملون; العدوى; الفيروس المكلل; المستشفيات; تخمين المخاطرة; عمان; Oman; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Coronavirus; Non-invasive Ventilation; Risk Assessment; Health Personnel; Infection Control; Oman
• ISSN: 1999-768X; 2070-5204
• DOI: 10.5001/omj.2021.110

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.