Routine screening of asymptomatic COVID-19-positive hospital personnel

DC Research Café presentations September 23, 2021: Background: Routine screening of asymptomatic COVID-19-positive hospital personnel has not been implemented in BC. This study was conducted to address this shortcoming and support a culture of safety in Royal Columbian Hospital, a tertiary-care facility in a large urban centre. Methods: We recruited volunteers from hospital personnel on duty in high-risk wards to identify the point prevalence of asymptomatic COVID-19-positive staff. Testing was conducted using nasopharyngeal swabs processed by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction assays. Results: Over 2 days of screening, 140 hospital personnel from two high-risk wards—the emergency department and intensive care unit/high acuity unit—volunteered for testing. All samples were negative for COVID-19. Conclusions: With strict use of personal protective equipment, routine screening for asymptomatic infection in hospital personnel who are regularly exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus is not warranted at Royal Columbian Hospital where community prevalence is held in check. Routine screening of on-duty asymptomatic COVID-19-positive hospital personnel is unlikely to be useful where there is 100% compliance with PPE use and community prevalence is controlled.