Dataset Information

Unintended consequences of infection prevention and control measures during COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In the current COVID-19 pandemic, aggressive Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures have been adopted to prevent health care-associated transmission of COVID-19. We evaluated the impact of a multimodal IPC strategy originally designed for the containment of COVID-19 on the rates of other hospital-acquired-infections (HAIs).

Methodology

From February-August 2020, a multimodal IPC strategy was implemented across a large health care campus in Singapore, comprising improved segregation of patients with respiratory symptoms, universal masking and heightened adherence to Standard Precautions. The following rates of HAI were compared pre- and postpandemic: health care-associated respiratory-viral-infection (HA-RVI), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and CP-CRE acquisition rates, health care-facility-associated C difficile infections and device-associated HAIs.

Results

Enhanced IPC measures introduced to contain COVID-19 had the unintended positive consequence of containing HA-RVI. The cumulative incidence of HA-RVI decreased from 9.69 cases per 10,000 patient-days to 0.83 cases per 10,000 patient-days (incidence-rate-ratio = 0.08; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.05-0.13, P< .05). Hospital-wide MRSA acquisition rates declined significantly during the pandemic (incidence-rate-ratio = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.46-0.64, P< .05), together with central-line-associated-bloodstream infection rates (incidence-rate-ratio = 0.24, 95% CI = 0.07-0.57, P< .05); likely due to increased compliance with Standard Precautions. Despite the disruption caused by the pandemic, there was no increase in CP-CRE acquisition, and rates of other HAIs remained stable.

Conclusions

Multimodal IPC strategies can be implemented at scale to successfully mitigate health care-associated transmission of RVIs. Good adherence to personal-protective-equipment and hand hygiene kept other HAI rates stable even during an ongoing pandemic where respiratory infections were prioritized for interventions.

SUBMITTER: Wee LEI

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7610096 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Unintended consequences of infection prevention and control measures during COVID-19 pandemic.

Wee Liang En Ian LEI Conceicao Edwin Philip EP Tan Jing Yuan JY Magesparan Kamini Devi KD Amin Ismawati Binte Mohamad IBM Ismail Bushra Binte Shaik BBS Toh Hui Xian HX Jin Pinhong P Zhang Jing J Wee Elaine Geok Ling EGL Ong Sheena Jin Min SJM Lee Gillian Li Xin GLX Wang Amanda En-Min AE How Molly Kue Bien MKB Tan Kwee Yuen KY Lee Lai Chee LC Phoon Poh Choo PC Yang Yong Y Aung May Kyawt MK Sim Xiang Ying Jean XYJ Venkatachalam Indumathi I Ling Moi Lin ML

American journal of infection control 20201104 4

<h4>Background</h4>In the current COVID-19 pandemic, aggressive Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures have been adopted to prevent health care-associated transmission of COVID-19. We evaluated the impact of a multimodal IPC strategy originally designed for the containment of COVID-19 on the rates of other hospital-acquired-infections (HAIs).<h4>Methodology</h4>From February-August 2020, a multimodal IPC strategy was implemented across a large health care campus in Singapore, comprising ...[more]

PMID: 33157180

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Dataset Information

Unintended consequences of infection prevention and control measures during COVID-19 pandemic.

Background

Methodology

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Unintended consequences of infection prevention and control measures during COVID-19 pandemic.

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