Evaluating the cost implications of integrating SARS-CoV-2 genome sequencing for infection prevention and control investigation of nosocomial transmission within hospitals

Panca, Monica; Blackstone, James; Stirrup, Oliver; Cutino-Moguel, Maria-Teresa; Thomson, Emma C.; Peters, Christine; Snell, Luke B; Nebbia, Gaia; Holmes, Alison; Chawla, Anu; Machin, Nicholas; Taha, Yusri; Mahungu, Tabitha; Saluja, Tranprit; Silva, Thushan I. de; Saeed, Kordo; Pope, Cassie F.; Shin, Gee Yen; Williams, Rachel; Darby, Alistair C.; Smith, Darren; Loose, Matthew; Robson, Samuel; Laing, Kenneth G.; Partridge, David G; Price, James R.; Breuer, Judith

doi:10.1016/j.jhin.2023.06.005

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 26 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Finally, we were unable to directly compare the costs of our approach compared to no use of WGS or WGS surveillance because the cost estimate was beyond the scope of this work. 16 , 32 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The utility of whole-genome sequencing to inform epidemiologic investigations of SARS-CoV-2 clusters in acute-care hospitals

Rader,

Srinivasa,

Griffith

et al. 2023

Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective: To evaluate the utility of selective reactive whole-genome sequencing (WGS) in aiding healthcare-associated cluster investigations. Design: Mixed-methods quality-improvement study. Setting: Thes study was conducted across 8 acute-care facilities in an integrated health system. Methods: We analyzed healthcare-associated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) clusters between May 2020 and July 2022 for which facility infection prevention and control (IPC) teams selectively requested reactive WGS to aid the epidemiologic investigation. WGS was performed with real-time results provided to IPC teams, including genetic relatedness of sequenced isolates. We conducted structured interviews with IPC teams on the informativeness of WGS for transmission investigation and prevention. Results: In total, 8 IPC teams requested WGS to aid the investigation of 17 COVID-19 clusters comprising 226 cases and 116 (51%) sequenced isolates. Of these, 16 (94%) clusters had at least 1 WGS-defined transmission event. IPC teams hypothesized transmission pathways in 14 (82%) of 17 clusters and used data visualizations to characterize these pathways in 11 clusters (65%). The teams reported that in 15 clusters (88%), WGS identified a transmission pathway; the WGS-defined pathway was not one that was predicted by epidemiologic investigation in 7 clusters (41%). WGS changed the understanding of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission in 8 clusters (47%) and altered infection prevention interventions in 8 clusters (47%). Conclusions: Selectively utilizing reactive WGS helped identify cryptic SARS-CoV-2 transmission pathways and frequently changed the understanding and response to SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks. Until WGS is widely adopted, a selective reactive WGS approach may be highly impactful in response to healthcare-associated cluster investigations.

show abstract

“…Finally, we were unable to directly compare the costs of our approach compared to no use of WGS or WGS surveillance because the cost estimate was beyond the scope of this work. 16 , 32 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… 8 Although WGS surveillance may identify all genetically related COVID-19 cases, it has practical limitations including resource costs, experienced staff, and availability. 16 , 17 …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The utility of whole-genome sequencing to inform epidemiologic investigations of SARS-CoV-2 clusters in acute-care hospitals

Rader,

Srinivasa,

Griffith

et al. 2023

Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Nosocomial Outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 in a Hospital Ward during the Omicron Variant-Dominant Wave with a Review of the Relevant Literature

Osaka,

Tagashira,

Takeuchi

et al. 2024

Jpn J Infect Dis

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Clusters of nosocomial coronavirus disease 2019 were reported globally during the recent pandemic. Unfortunately, these clusters negatively impacted inpatient morbidity, mortality, and hospital functions. Using epidemiological data and whole genome sequencing (WGS) of SARS-CoV-2, the present study investigated an outbreak of COVID-19 at a university hospital. Eight inpatients and 13 healthcare workers tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 during a one-month period. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of the virus in 11 patients revealed that two variants of concern belonging to the Omicron sublineages, BA.2.3 and BA1.1.2, had caused the outbreak during a time when the proportion of the Omicron lineage in the community was changing. When variants of concern are undergoing mutation, a response to the outbreak should be made with multiple variants in mind, even in the absence of epidemiological data showing close contact or other potential vectors of infection, and awareness about infection prevention and control should be raised to safeguard patient safety.

show abstract

Evaluating the cost implications of integrating SARS-CoV-2 genome sequencing for infection prevention and control investigation of nosocomial transmission within hospitals

Cited by 2 publications

References 26 publications

The utility of whole-genome sequencing to inform epidemiologic investigations of SARS-CoV-2 clusters in acute-care hospitals

The utility of whole-genome sequencing to inform epidemiologic investigations of SARS-CoV-2 clusters in acute-care hospitals

Nosocomial Outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 in a Hospital Ward during the Omicron Variant-Dominant Wave with a Review of the Relevant Literature

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About