MikeDotta / Shutterstock.com

Hospitals Struggle with Accurate COVID-19 Data

Some hospitals have not been able to track the number of patients who might have contracted COVID-19 during a stay


Controlling the spread of COVID-19 is difficult enough in hospitals, given the many variables at work, including screening procedures, sanitizing practices, air filtration measures and the outside activities of doctors, nurses and staff. In some cases, however, hospitals also are having difficulty gathering accurate data on the spread of the illness among patients.

For example, how many patients enter a Connecticut hospital with a broken leg or some other type of emergency and then contracting COVID-19 while hospitalized? It’s impossible to say because officials with the state’s Department of Public Health (DPH) have not been able to track the number of patients who might have contracted COVID-19 during a hospital stay, according to CT News Junkie. But when people do test positive for the novel coronavirus after being admitted for other reasons, the state is counting those patients as COVID-19 hospitalizations, says a DPH spokesman.

It’s easier to trace COVID-19 infections in nursing homes since most residents have been at the facility for longer than two weeks, officials said. But in a hospital setting where most patients only stay a short time, it’s difficult to tell where a person contracted the disease, according to CTNewsJunkie.

Click here to read the article.



December 10, 2020


Topic Area: Infection Control


Recent Posts

Barriers to Infection: Rethinking Mattress Cleaning

Laundering removable bed barriers provides a more effective, consistent and safer method for eliminating harmful bacteria compared to manual cleaning.


Over 1 Million Individuals Affected in Community Health Center Data Breach

No evidence of data misuse has been found so far.


Prospect Medical Holdings to Sell Crozer Health to Non-Profit Consortium

The sale includes Crozer Health’s operating assets, including all hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, clinics and physician offices.


The Top States for Pest Infestations

Healthcare facilities are among the most popular locations for pest infestations.


Ground Broken on Wichita Biomedical Campus Project

The $172.5-million, eight-story, 350,000-square-foot building is expected to open in 2027.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

 
 
 
 

Healthcare Facilities Today membership includes free email newsletters from our facility-industry brands.

Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   Posts

Copyright © 2023 TradePress. All rights reserved.