Pitfall of Universal Pre-Admission Screening for SARS-CoV-2 in a Low Prevalence Country.
Viruses
; 13(5)2021 04 30.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1217119
ABSTRACT
It is unclear whether universal PCR screening for SARS-CoV-2 in asymptomatic individuals prior to admission is useful. From April to December 2020, the positive rate of universal pre-admission screening was 0.005% (4/76,521) in a tertiary care hospital in Korea. The positive rates were not different between the periods (period 1 (daily new patients of <1 per million inhabitants) vs. period 2 (1-8.3 per million inhabitants) vs. period 3 (10.3 to 20 per million inhabitants); P = 0.45). Universal pre-admission screening for SARS-CoV-2 had a lower positive rate than that of symptom-based screening (0.005% vs. 0.049% (53/109,257), p < 0.001). In addition, seven patients with negative pre-admission test results had subsequent positive PCR during hospitalization, and four patients had secondary transmission. Universal pre-admission PCR screening may not be practical in settings of low prevalence of COVID-19, and negative PCR results at admission should not serve as a basis for underestimating the risk of nosocomial spread from asymptomatic patients.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Carrier State
/
Nasopharynx
/
Asymptomatic Diseases
/
COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Testing
/
SARS-CoV-2
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Diagnostic study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
English
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
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