Epidemiological analysis of a COVID-19 outbreak associated with an infected surgeon

• Published in: Epidemiology and infection Vol. 149; p. e77
• Main Authors: Gallo, Oreste, Peris, Adriano, Trotta, Michele, Orlando, Pietro, Maggiore, Giandomenico, Cilona, Maria, Trovati, Massimo, Locatello, Luca Giovanni
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 25.03.2021
• Subjects: Asthma; Contact Tracing - instrumentation; Contact Tracing - methods; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - diagnosis; COVID-19 - etiology; COVID-19 - psychology; Disease control; Disease transmission; Epidemiology; Exposure; Eye protection; Hospitals; Humans; Immunoglobulin M; Infection Control - standards; Infections; Medical laboratories; Ostomy; Outbreaks; Pandemics - prevention & control; Patients; Personal protective equipment; Personal Protective Equipment - standards; Protective equipment; Quarantine; Risk; Serological tests; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Short Paper; Surgeons; Ultrasonic testing; Viral diseases; COVID-19; surgical procedures; head and neck surgery; hospital infection; otorhinolaryngology
• ISSN: 0950-2688; 1469-4409; 1469-4409
• DOI: 10.1017/S0950268821000650

Control of the novel COronaVIrus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) in a hospital setting is a priority. A COVID-19-infected surgeon performed surgical activities before being tested. An exposure risk classification was applied to the identified exposed subjects and high- and medium-risk contacts underwent active symptom monitoring for 14 days at home. All healthcare professionals (HCPs) were tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) at the end of the quarantine and serological tests were performed. Three household contacts and 20 HCPs were identified as high- or medium-risk contacts and underwent a 14-day quarantine. Fourteen HCPs and 19 patients were instead classified as low risk. All the contacts remained asymptomatic and all HCPs tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. About 25–28 days after their last exposure, HCPs underwent serological testing and two of them had positive IgM but negative confirmatory swabs. In a low COVID-19 burden area, the in-hospital transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from an infectious doctor did not occur and, despite multiple and frequent contacts, a hospital outbreak was avoided. This may be linked to the adoption of specific recommendations and to the use of standard personal protective equipment by HCPs.