The Risk of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Transmission from Patients With Undiagnosed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) to Roommates in a Large Academic Medical Center

Abraar Karan; Michael Klompas; Robert Tucker; Meghan Baker; Vineeta Vaidya; Chanu Rhee

doi:10.1093/cid/ciab564

The Risk of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Transmission from Patients With Undiagnosed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) to Roommates in a Large Academic Medical Center

Clin Infect Dis. 2022 Mar 23;74(6):1097-1100. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciab564.

Authors

Abraar Karan¹, Michael Klompas^{1

2

3}, Robert Tucker³, Meghan Baker^{1

2

3}, Vineeta Vaidya³, Chanu Rhee^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusettts, USA.
² Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School/ Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
³ Infection Control Department, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

PMID: 34145449
DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciab564

Abstract

We assessed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission between patients in shared rooms in an academic hospital between September 2020 and April 2021. In total, 11 290 patients were admitted to shared rooms, of whom 25 tested positive. Among 31 exposed roommates, 12 (39%) tested positive within 14 days. Transmission was associated with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) cycle thresholds ≤21.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; nosocomial infection; roommate; transmission.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Academic Medical Centers
COVID-19*
Hospitalization
Humans
Risk Factors
SARS-CoV-2*

Grants and funding

6U54CK000484-04-02/CC/CDC HHS/United States