Infection control in non‐clinical areas during COVID‐19 pandemic

Infection control in non‐clinical areas during COVID‐19 pandemic:

Abstract

Large numbers of healthcare workers have acquired coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) in the workplace [1]. SARS‐CoV‐2 is easily transmissible as each person with COVID‐19 infects approximately 2.2 close contacts, and asymptomatic transmission has been reported [2,3]. SARS‐CoV‐2 survives in aerosols and on surfaces from hours to days, respectively [4]. Therefore, we believe non‐clinical areas are potentially high‐risk for transmission between healthcare workers, and often neglected by infection prevention and control protocols. To alert others to this risk and how it may be reduced, we describe our non‐clinical workplace infection prevention and control measures that have been modified from those originally developed during the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic [5].