Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Live Imaging and Quantification of Viral Infection in K18 hACE2 Transgenic Mice Using Reporter-Expressing Recombinant SARS-CoV-2
Published on: November 5, 2021
Risk factors for hospital-acquired infection during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic
J H Kwon1, K B Nickel1, K A Reske1
1Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA.
Objective:
To evaluate risk factors for hospital-acquired infection (HAI) in patients during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, including historical and concurrent cohorts.
Design:
Retrospective cohort.
Setting:
Three Missouri hospitals, data from 1st January 2017 to 30th September 2020.
Participants:
Patients aged ≥18 years and admitted for ≥48 h.
Methods:
Univariate and multi-variate Cox proportional hazards models incorporating the competing risk of death were used to determine risk factors for HAI. A-priori sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the robustness of the urine-, blood- and respiratory-culture-based HAI definition.
Results:
The cohort included 254,792 admissions, with 7147 (2.8%) HAIs (1661 blood, 3407 urine, 2626 respiratory). Patients with SARS-CoV-2 had increased risk of HAI (adjusted hazards ratio 1.65, 95% confidence interval 1.38-1.96), and SARS-CoV-2 infection was one of the strongest risk factors for development of HAI. Other risk factors for HAI included certain admitting services, chronic comorbidities, intensive care unit stay during index admission, extremes of body mass index, hospital, and selected medications. Factors associated with lower risk of HAI included year of admission (declined over the course of the study), admitting service and medications. Risk factors for HAI were similar in sensitivity analyses restricted to patients with diagnostic codes for pneumonia/upper respiratory infection and urinary tract infection.
Conclusions:
SARS-CoV-2 was associated with significantly increased risk of HAI.
Related Concept Videos
Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin create...
Healthcare Associated Infections I: Iatrogenic, Exogenic and Endogenic
HAIs significantly increase the cost of health care. Extended stays in healthcare institutions, increased disability, increased costs of medications, including specialized antibiotics, and prolonged recovery times add to the patient's expenses and the healthcare institution and funding bodies. Common...
Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
Pneumonia I: Introduction
Risk Factors
Various factors influence the likelihood of developing pneumonia. Age plays a crucial role, with infants, children under two, and individuals over 65 at increased risk due to their...
Coronavirus
Pneumonia I: Introduction

