Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40109910›Full record

ArticleAntimicrobial stewardship & healthcare epidemiology : ASHE2025

Perceptions of sources of transmission among hospital employees infected with severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in an urban tertiary care hospital: a qualitative study to inform future pandemic management.

Ziyue Luo, Daniel E Kent, Pooja Shah, Dina Poplausky, MacKenzie Clark MacRae, Cassidy Boomsma, Jacob M Jasper, Alysse G Wurcel, Elena Byhoff, Alice M Tang and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Antimicrobial stewardship & healthcare epidemiology : ASHE, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Ziyue LuoDepartment of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
Daniel E Kent *Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9842-333X
Pooja ShahDepartment of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
Dina PoplauskyDepartment of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
MacKenzie Clark MacRaeDepartment of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2952-2844
Cassidy BoomsmaDepartment of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
Jacob M JasperDepartment of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
Alysse G WurcelDivision of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8255-8387
Elena ByhoffDivision of Health Science Systems, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
Alice M TangDepartment of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3968-6391
Shira DoronDivision of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
Ramnath Subbaraman *Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2063-943X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: Hospital employees are at risk of severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection from patient, coworker, and community interactions. Understanding employees' perspectives on transmission risks may inform hospital pandemic management strategies. Design: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 23 employees to assess factors contributing to perceived transmission risks during patient, coworker, and community interactions and to elicit recommendations. Using a deductive approach, transcripts were coded to identify recurring themes. Setting: Tertiary hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Participants: Employees with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test between March 2020 and January 2021, a period before widespread vaccine availability. Results: Employees generally reported low concern about transmission risks during patient care. Most patient-related risks, including limited inpatient testing and personal protective equipment availability, were only reported during the early weeks of the pandemic, except for suboptimal masking adherence by patients. Participants reported greater perceived transmission risks from coworkers, due to limited breakroom space, suboptimal coworker masking, and perceptions of inadequate contact tracing. Perceived community risks were related to social gatherings and to household members who also had high SARS-CoV-2 infection risk because they were essential workers. Recommendations included increasing well-ventilated workspaces and breakrooms, increasing support for sick employees, and stronger hospital communication about risks from non-patient-care activities, including the importance of masking adherence with coworkers and in the community. Conclusions: To reduce transmission during future pandemics, hospitals may consider improving communication on risk reduction during coworker and community interactions. Societal investments are needed to improve hospital infrastructure (eg, better ventilation and breakroom space) and increase support for sick employees.

Identifiers

PMID40109910
PMCPMC11920918

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.