ArticleInfection control and hospital epidemiology2024
The utility of whole-genome sequencing to inform epidemiologic investigations of SARS-CoV-2 clusters in acute-care hospitals.
Article in Infection control and hospital epidemiology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.
- Whole genome sequencing to study SARS-CoV-2 transmission between university students and the surrounding community in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 2020-2021.Antimicrobial stewardship & healthcare epidemiology : ASHE · 2026Article
- Whole Genome Sequencing to Study SARS-CoV-2 Transmission between University Students and the Surrounding Community in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 2020-2021.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2025Article
- Utilizing Whole Genome Sequencing to Investigate a COVID-19 Cluster Among Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Care Facility in the Philippines: Insights and Implications for Infection Prevention and Control.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2025Article
- Healthcare-Associated Infections: The Role of Microbial and Environmental Factors in Infection Control-A Narrative Review.Infectious diseases and therapy · 2025Review
- The impact of less restrictive quarantine for exposed COVID-19 patients in inpatient psychiatric settings: a cohort analysis.Antimicrobial stewardship & healthcare epidemiology : ASHE · 2025Article
- Longitudinal surveillance and transmission ofAntimicrobial stewardship & healthcare epidemiology : ASHE · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo evaluate the utility of selective reactive whole-genome sequencing (WGS) in aiding healthcare-associated cluster investigations.
designMixed-methods quality-improvement study.
settingThes study was conducted across 8 acute-care facilities in an integrated health system.
methodsWe analyzed healthcare-associated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) clusters between May 2020 and July 2022 for which facility infection prevention and control (IPC) teams selectively requested reactive WGS to aid the epidemiologic investigation. WGS was performed with real-time results provided to IPC teams, including genetic relatedness of sequenced isolates. We conducted structured interviews with IPC teams on the informativeness of WGS for transmission investigation and prevention.
resultsIn total, 8 IPC teams requested WGS to aid the investigation of 17 COVID-19 clusters comprising 226 cases and 116 (51%) sequenced isolates. Of these, 16 (94%) clusters had at least 1 WGS-defined transmission event. IPC teams hypothesized transmission pathways in 14 (82%) of 17 clusters and used data visualizations to characterize these pathways in 11 clusters (65%). The teams reported that in 15 clusters (88%), WGS identified a transmission pathway; the WGS-defined pathway was not one that was predicted by epidemiologic investigation in 7 clusters (41%). WGS changed the understanding of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission in 8 clusters (47%) and altered infection prevention interventions in 8 clusters (47%).
conclusionsSelectively utilizing reactive WGS helped identify cryptic SARS-CoV-2 transmission pathways and frequently changed the understanding and response to SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks. Until WGS is widely adopted, a selective reactive WGS approach may be highly impactful in response to healthcare-associated cluster investigations.
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