Mitigating healthcare staffing shortages: Should healthcare workers with severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) household exposures work?

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2023 Jul;44(7):1204-1206. doi: 10.1017/ice.2022.195. Epub 2022 Aug 25.

Abstract

In a tertiary-care, pediatric healthcare center in Québec, Canada, healthcare workers who reported a household exposure to confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases were allowed to work. On repeated testing, 15% became severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-positive by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), with no nosocomial transmission. Being asymptomatic and receiving a booster dose >7 days prior to exposure was protective against becoming SARS-CoV-2-positive by PCR.

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19*
  • Child
  • Delivery of Health Care
  • Health Facilities
  • Health Personnel
  • Humans
  • SARS-CoV-2