Modeling the impact of health care worker masking to reduce nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 transmission under varying adherence, prevalence, and transmission settings.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To understand the scenarios where health care worker (HCW) masking is most impactful for preventing nosocomial transmission.

Methods

A mathematical agent-based model of nosocomial spread with masking interventions. Masking adherence, community prevalence, disease transmissibility, masking effectiveness, and proportion of breakroom (unmasked) interactions were varied. The main outcome measure is the total number of nosocomial infections in patients and HCW populations over a simulated three-month period.

Results

HCW masking around patients and universal HCW masking reduces median patient nosocomial infections by 15% and 18%, respectively. HCW-HCW interactions are the dominant source of HCW infections and universal HCW masking reduces HCW nosocomial infection

SUBMITTER: Whiteley TD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12483623 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature