A systems approach to understanding SARS-CoV-2 transmission among healthcare workers in a cluster

Abstract

Preventing transmission of COVID-19 between healthcare workers is essential to optimize patient, employee, and organizational outcomes. We used a systems engineering approach to analyze contact tracing interviews from a cluster of COVID-19 at our healthcare institution and identified modifiable and non-modifiable causes of transmission. Similar work system analyses may be useful to institutions in identifying multiple factors contributing to infection clusters among healthcare workers, and in developing layered infection prevention methods to further reduce transmission.