Safe hospital preparedness in the era of COVID-19: The Swiss cheese model.

• Only 1.4% of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases occurred in acute care hospitals in South Korea. • Healthcare personnel accounted for 2.4% of the total patients with COVID-19 in South Korea. • Each hospital should prepare multiple layered defenses to prevent even small cracks in the hospital's quarantine system. • It is necessary to support and strengthen the infection control system of long-term care facilities. Since it first emerged in December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread rapidly worldwide. During the pandemic of an emerging infectious disease, it is very important to prevent nosocomial outbreaks and operate hospitals safely to maintain their functions. In this article, we present the strategies for safe hospital operations based on the experiences of the Republic of Korea early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Each hospital should maintain multiple layers of defenses to prevent even small cracks in the hospital's quarantine system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]