Risk factors for nosocomial COVID-19 in a French university hospital

Prevention strategies implemented by hospitals to reduce nosocomial transmission of SARS-CoV-2 sometimes failed. Our aim was to determine the risk factors for nosocomial COVID-19.

A case-control study was conducted (September 1, 2020-January 31, 2021) with adult patients hospitalized in medical or surgical units. Infants or patients hospitalized in ICU were excluded. Cases were patients with nosocomial COVID-19 (clinical symptoms and RT-PCR + for SARS-CoV-2 or RT-PCR + for SARS-CoV-2 with Ct ≤ 28 more than 5 days after admission); controls were patients without infection (RT-PCR- for SARS-CoV-2 > 5 days after admission). They were matched according to length of stay before diagnosis and period of admission. Analyses were performed with a conditional logistic regression.

A total of 281 cases and 441 controls were included. In the bivariate analysis, cases were older (OR per 10 years: 1.22; 95%CI [1.10;1.36]), had more often shared a room (OR: 1.74; 95%CI [1.25;2.43]) or a risk factor for severe COVID-19 (OR: 1.94; 95%CI [1.09;3.45]), were more often hospitalized in medical units [OR: 1.59; 95%CI [1.12;2.25]), had higher exposure to contagious health care workers (HCW; OR per 1person-day: 1.12; 95%CI [1.08;1.17]) and patients (OR per 1 person-day: 1.11; 95%CI [1.08;1.14]) than controls. In an adjusted model, risk factors for nosocomial COVID-19 were exposure to contagious HCW (aOR per 1person-day: 1.08; 95%CI [1.03;1.14]) and to contagious patients (aOR per 1person-day: 1.10; 95%CI [1.07;1.13]).

Exposure to contagious professionals and patients are the main risk factors for nosocomial COVID-19.