The Journal of hospital infection
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Case Reports
Risk of nosocomial transmission of coronavirus disease 2019: an experience in a general ward setting in Hong Kong.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first reported in Wuhan in December 2019 and has rapidly spread across different cities within and outside China. Hong Kong started to prepare for COVID-19 on 31st December 2019 and infection control measures in public hospitals were tightened to limit nosocomial transmission within healthcare facilities. However, the recommendations on the transmission-based precautions required for COVID-19 in hospital settings vary from droplet and contact precautions, to contact and airborne precautions with placement of patients in airborne infection isolation rooms. ⋯ Our findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 is not spread by an airborne route, and nosocomial transmissions can be prevented through vigilant basic infection control measures, including wearing of surgical masks, hand and environmental hygiene.
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The study analysed healthcare workers' (HCWs) knowledge, practices, and attitudes regarding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A cross-sectional survey was conducted from February 4th to February 8th, 2020, involving a total of 1357 HCWs across 10 hospitals in Henan, China. ⋯ In addition to knowledge level, some risk factors including work experience and job category influenced HCWs' attitudes and practice concerning COVID-19. Measures must be taken to protect HCWs from risks linked to job category, work experience, working hours, educational attainment, and frontline HCWs.