In Support of Universal Admission Testing for SARS-CoV-2 During Significant Community Transmission.

View Abstract

Many hospitals have stopped or are considering stopping universal admission testing for SARS-CoV-2. We discuss reasons why admission testing should still be part of a layered system to prevent hospital-acquired SARS-CoV-2 infections during times of significant community transmission. These include the morbidity of SARS-CoV-2 in vulnerable patients, the predominant contribution of presymptomatic and asymptomatic people to transmission, the high rate of transmission between patients in shared rooms, and data suggesting surveillance testing is associated with fewer nosocomial infections. Preferences of diverse patient populations, particularly the hardest hit communities, should be surveyed and used to inform prevention measures. Hospitals' ethical responsibility to protect patients from serious infections should predominate over concerns about costs, labor, and inconvenience. We call for more rigorous data on the incidence and morbidity of nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 infections and more research to help determine when to start, stop, and restart universal admission testing and other prevention measures.

Investigators
Abbreviation
Clin Infect Dis
Publication Date
2023-07-18
Pubmed ID
37463411
Medium
Print-Electronic
Full Title
In Support of Universal Admission Testing for SARS-CoV-2 During Significant Community Transmission.
Authors
Rhee C, Klompas M, Pak TR, Köhler JR