Viral whole-genome sequencing to assess impact of universal masking on SARS-CoV-2 transmission among pediatric healthcare workers

Larry K. Kociolek; Ami Bhagvan Patel; Judd F. Hultquist; Egon A. Ozer; Lacy M. Simons; Matthew McHugh; William J. Muller; Ramon Lorenzo-Redondo

doi:10.1017/ice.2021.415

Viral whole-genome sequencing to assess impact of universal masking on SARS-CoV-2 transmission among pediatric healthcare workers

Larry K. Kociolek^*, Ami Bhagvan Patel, Judd F. Hultquist, Egon A. Ozer, Lacy M. Simons, Matthew McHugh, William J. Muller, Ramon Lorenzo-Redondo

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: To identify the impact of universal masking on COVID-19 incidence and putative SARS-CoV-2 transmissions events among children's hospital healthcare workers (HCWs). Design: Quasi-experimental study. Setting: Single academic free-standing children's hospital. Methods: We performed whole-genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2- PCR-positive samples collected from HCWs 3 weeks before and 6 weeks after implementing a universal masking policy. Phylogenetic analyses were performed to identify clusters of clonally related SARS-CoV-2 indicative of putative transmission events. We measured COVID-19 incidence, SARS-CoV-2 test positivity rates, and frequency of putative transmission events before and after the masking policy was implemented. Results: HCW COVID-19 incidence and test positivity declined from 14.3 to 4.3 cases per week, and from 18.4% to 9.0%, respectively. Putative transmission events were only identified prior to universal masking. Conclusions: A universal masking policy was associated with reductions in HCW COVID-19 infections and occupational acquisition of SARS-CoV-2.

Original language	English (US)
Journal	Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/ice.2021.415
State	Accepted/In press - 2021

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Epidemiology
Microbiology (medical)
Infectious Diseases

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1017/ice.2021.415

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@article{9beb2ebd0ff24f75bb93a20730bdb347,

title = "Viral whole-genome sequencing to assess impact of universal masking on SARS-CoV-2 transmission among pediatric healthcare workers",

abstract = "Objective: To identify the impact of universal masking on COVID-19 incidence and putative SARS-CoV-2 transmissions events among children's hospital healthcare workers (HCWs). Design: Quasi-experimental study. Setting: Single academic free-standing children's hospital. Methods: We performed whole-genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2- PCR-positive samples collected from HCWs 3 weeks before and 6 weeks after implementing a universal masking policy. Phylogenetic analyses were performed to identify clusters of clonally related SARS-CoV-2 indicative of putative transmission events. We measured COVID-19 incidence, SARS-CoV-2 test positivity rates, and frequency of putative transmission events before and after the masking policy was implemented. Results: HCW COVID-19 incidence and test positivity declined from 14.3 to 4.3 cases per week, and from 18.4% to 9.0%, respectively. Putative transmission events were only identified prior to universal masking. Conclusions: A universal masking policy was associated with reductions in HCW COVID-19 infections and occupational acquisition of SARS-CoV-2.",

author = "Kociolek, {Larry K.} and Patel, {Ami Bhagvan} and Hultquist, {Judd F.} and Ozer, {Egon A.} and Simons, {Lacy M.} and Matthew McHugh and Muller, {William J.} and Ramon Lorenzo-Redondo",

note = "Funding Information: This work was partially supported by funding to L.K.K., J.F.H., E.A.O., L.M.S., and R.L.R. from the Walder Foundation{\textquoteright}s Chicago Coronavirus Assessment Network (Chicago CAN) Initiative. Research reported in this publication was also supported, in part, by the National Institutes of Health{\textquoteright}s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (grant no. UL1TR001422). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.",

year = "2021",

doi = "10.1017/ice.2021.415",

language = "English (US)",

journal = "Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology",

issn = "0899-823X",

publisher = "University of Chicago Press",

}

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T1 - Viral whole-genome sequencing to assess impact of universal masking on SARS-CoV-2 transmission among pediatric healthcare workers

AU - Kociolek, Larry K.

AU - Patel, Ami Bhagvan

AU - Hultquist, Judd F.

AU - Ozer, Egon A.

AU - Simons, Lacy M.

AU - McHugh, Matthew

AU - Muller, William J.

AU - Lorenzo-Redondo, Ramon

N1 - Funding Information: This work was partially supported by funding to L.K.K., J.F.H., E.A.O., L.M.S., and R.L.R. from the Walder Foundation’s Chicago Coronavirus Assessment Network (Chicago CAN) Initiative. Research reported in this publication was also supported, in part, by the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (grant no. UL1TR001422). Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Objective: To identify the impact of universal masking on COVID-19 incidence and putative SARS-CoV-2 transmissions events among children's hospital healthcare workers (HCWs). Design: Quasi-experimental study. Setting: Single academic free-standing children's hospital. Methods: We performed whole-genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2- PCR-positive samples collected from HCWs 3 weeks before and 6 weeks after implementing a universal masking policy. Phylogenetic analyses were performed to identify clusters of clonally related SARS-CoV-2 indicative of putative transmission events. We measured COVID-19 incidence, SARS-CoV-2 test positivity rates, and frequency of putative transmission events before and after the masking policy was implemented. Results: HCW COVID-19 incidence and test positivity declined from 14.3 to 4.3 cases per week, and from 18.4% to 9.0%, respectively. Putative transmission events were only identified prior to universal masking. Conclusions: A universal masking policy was associated with reductions in HCW COVID-19 infections and occupational acquisition of SARS-CoV-2.

AB - Objective: To identify the impact of universal masking on COVID-19 incidence and putative SARS-CoV-2 transmissions events among children's hospital healthcare workers (HCWs). Design: Quasi-experimental study. Setting: Single academic free-standing children's hospital. Methods: We performed whole-genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2- PCR-positive samples collected from HCWs 3 weeks before and 6 weeks after implementing a universal masking policy. Phylogenetic analyses were performed to identify clusters of clonally related SARS-CoV-2 indicative of putative transmission events. We measured COVID-19 incidence, SARS-CoV-2 test positivity rates, and frequency of putative transmission events before and after the masking policy was implemented. Results: HCW COVID-19 incidence and test positivity declined from 14.3 to 4.3 cases per week, and from 18.4% to 9.0%, respectively. Putative transmission events were only identified prior to universal masking. Conclusions: A universal masking policy was associated with reductions in HCW COVID-19 infections and occupational acquisition of SARS-CoV-2.

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Viral whole-genome sequencing to assess impact of universal masking on SARS-CoV-2 transmission among pediatric healthcare workers

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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