COVID-19 Infection Risk Minimized in Italian Hospital Ward

Strategic Insights -

Researchers at the Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (IRCCS) in Milan, Italy, have published findings on the risk of coronavirus disease-19 infection for healthcare professionals and patients in hospitals. The study, published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, investigated the rate of COVID-19 infection in patients accessing an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) unit at Humanitas, Milan, over a one-month period.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study involved 320 patients with IBD, none of whom were infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) during the follow-up period.
  • No IBD team members were infected with SARS-CoV-2 throughout the study period.
  • The research concluded that neither pharmacological immunosuppression nor access to the hospital seem to be risk factors for infection in patients with IBD.
  • The study's findings suggest that precautions adopted in the IBD unit minimized the risk of infection for patients accessing the facility.
  • Daniela Gilardi, lead researcher, and her team identified the importance of post-lockdown measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in healthcare settings.

Statistics:

  • 320 patients with IBD were included in the study.
  • None of the 320 patients were infected with SARS-CoV-2 during the one-month follow-up period.
  • No IBD team members (312 individuals) were infected with SARS-CoV-2 throughout the study period.

Sources:

  • Absence of COVID-19 Infection in Patients Accessing IBD Unit at Humanitas, Milan: Implications for Postlockdown Measures. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 2020;().
  • Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (IRCCS)
  • Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (IRCCS)
  • Daniela Gilardi, IBD Center, Dept. of Gastroenterology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (IRCCS)
  • The American Journal of Gastroenterology (Blackwell Publishing Inc, 350 Main St, Malden, MA 02148, USA)
  • NewsRx LLC (Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA, September 13, 2020, p 1122)