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

How Efficiency Checklists Help Hospitals Save Energy, Water and Money

Keith Edgerton explains how a simple, systematic tool can help healthcare facilities identify savings, support sustainability goals and reinvest in long-term decarbonization.


Intermountain Healthcare Receives $50M Gift for Standalone Children's Hospital

To honor the family's gift, Intermountain Health will name the inpatient tower the Larry & Heidi Canarelli Inpatient Tower.


Arrowhead Regional Medical Center Reports Data Breach via Third Party

There is currently no evidence that the information has been viewed by any third-party or of any misuse of the impacted information as a result of this incident.


Safety Synergy: Infection Prevention That Protects Patients and Workers

For environmental services managers, the central message is that cleaning and disinfection should be governed through an integrated systems approach.


Prefabricated Wall Panels Speed UCF Lake Nona Medical Center Construction

StoPanel systems helped the project meet Florida’s wind-load and impact requirements while supporting a fast, safe exterior installation.


 
 


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.