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The Alpha variant was not associated with excess nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 infection in a multi-centre UK hospital study
- Source :
- The Journal of Infection
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- W B SAUNDERS CO LTD, 2021.
-
Abstract
- Objectives : Recently emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants have been associated with an increased rate of transmission within the community. We sought to determine whether this also resulted in increased transmission within hospitals. Methods : We collected viral sequences and epidemiological data of patients with community and healthcare associated SARS-CoV-2 infections, sampled from 16th November 2020 to 10th January 2021, from nine hospitals participating in the COG-UK HOCI study. Outbreaks were identified using ward information, lineage and pairwise genetic differences between viral sequences. Results : Mixed effects logistic regression analysis of 4184 sequences showed healthcare-acquired infections were no more likely to be identified as the Alpha variant than community acquired infections. Nosocomial outbreaks were investigated based on overlapping ward stay and SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence similarity. There was no significant difference in the number of patients involved in outbreaks caused by the Alpha variant compared to outbreaks caused by other lineages. Conclusions : We find no evidence to support it causing more nosocomial transmission than previous lineages. This suggests that the stringent infection prevention measures already in place in UK hospitals contained the spread of the Alpha variant as effectively as other less transmissible lineages, providing reassurance of their efficacy against emerging variants of concern. 40 word summary: This UK multicentre study found no evidence to support the Alpha variant as having caused more nosocomial transmission that previous SARS-CoV-2 variants. This provides some reassurance that currently implemented IPC measures may be as effective against more transmissible variants.
- Subjects :
- Microbiology (medical)
medicine.medical_specialty
lineage B.1.1.7
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
B100
Alpha (ethology)
variants of concern
Logistic regression
Article
Internal medicine
Epidemiology
medicine
Humans
transmissibility
Infection control
nosocomial outbreaks
Cross Infection
Nosocomial outbreak
SARS-CoV-2
business.industry
Transmission (medicine)
COVID-19
Outbreak
C500
C700
Hospitals
United Kingdom
Infectious Diseases
Alpha variant
business
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 01634453
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- The Journal of Infection
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....5df3f6269f1f21d216166c284d3df51f