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Editorial
. 2021 Sep;16(3):435-438.
doi: 10.26574/maedica.2021.16.3.435.

Doctors Spreading SARS-CoV-2 Infection to Their Patients and Health Workers. What is the Likelihood of This Scenario?

Effrosyni D Palla  1 , Jiannis Hajiioannou  1 , Vasileios A Lachanas  1 , Nikos Kalogritsas  1 , Fani Saini  1 , Despoina Beka  1 , Charikleia Maiou  1 , Charalampos Skoulakis  1
Affiliations
Editorial

Doctors Spreading SARS-CoV-2 Infection to Their Patients and Health Workers. What is the Likelihood of This Scenario?

Effrosyni D Palla et al. Maedica (Bucur). 2021 Sep.

Abstract

Aims: In this particular study, we report our experience of eight doctors infected with SARS-CoV-2 and discuss the probability of in-hospital virus transmission to patients or the rest of the hospital personnel. The importance of PPEs is highlighted. Materials and methods:We explore the data of eight doctors who were tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 after returning from their summer vacation. More specific, we evaluated the time they spent working before they got tested after their return, the symptoms they developed and the results of their tracking through their patients and the rest of hospital workers. Results:All doctors followed their working schedule, ranging from 2-4 days after their summertime off, without knowledge of being infected. They had been keeping all suggested protection precautions, while no further virus transmission to patients and/or other healthcare workers occurred, even though they had close contact and cooperation with many of them. Conclusions:Our experience suggests that, if healthcare workers conform to established safety procedures, the likelihood of further transmission both to patients and their colleagues, even in asymptomatic state, appears to be minimal.

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Figures

TABLE 1.
TABLE 1.
Epidemiological characteristics of infected health care workers
TABLE 2.
TABLE 2.
Infection and diagnosis timeline
TABLE 3.
TABLE 3.
In-hospital contacts of the eight SARS-CoV-2 infected doctors with PPEs*
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