ArticleThe Journal of hospital infection2022
Infection control strategies for patients and accompanying persons during the COVID-19 pandemic in German hospitals: a cross-sectional study in March-April 2021.
Article in The Journal of hospital infection, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.
- Changes in hand hygiene compliance and technique among non-healthcare professionals in a tertiary-care hospital: Before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.European journal of microbiology & immunology · 2026Article
- Infection prevention and control between legal requirements and German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology expert assessments: a cross-sectional study in September-November 2022.The Journal of hospital infection · 2023Article
- Article
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPatients are at risk of nosocomial COVID-19 infection. The role of accompanying persons/visitors as potential infection donors is not yet well researched, but the risk will be influenced by prevention measures recommended by infection control practitioners.
aimTo collect information about COVID-19 infection control strategies for patients and accompanying persons from infection control practitioners in German hospitals.
methodsA cross-sectional questionnaire was developed, ethically approved, pre-tested and formatted as an online tool. Infection control practitioners in 987 randomly selected German hospitals were invited to participate in March and April 2021. For statistical analysis, the hospitals were categorized as small (0-499 beds) or large (≥500 beds).
findingsOne hundred surveys were completed (response rate: 10%). A higher proportion of large (71%) than small (49%) hospitals let patients decide freely whether to wear medical or FFP2 masks. Most hospitals reported spatial separation for COVID-19 patients and non-COVID-19 cases (38%) or additionally for suspected COVID-19 cases (53%). A separation of healthcare teams for these areas existed in 54% of the hospitals. Accompaniment bans were more prevalent in large (52%) than in small hospitals (29%), but large hospitals granted more exemptions.
conclusionThe decision as to whether to separate areas and teams seemed to depend on the hospital's structural conditions, therefore impairing the implementation of recommendations. Accompaniment regulations differ between hospital sizes and may depend on patient numbers, case type/severity and patients' requirements. In the dynamic situation of a pandemic, it can be difficult to stay up to date with findings and recommendations on infection control.
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