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Deisolation in the Healthcare Setting Following Recent COVID-19 Infection
Samuel W L Baumgart1, Aidan McLachlan1, Hayden Kenny1
1Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Concord Hospital, Concord, NSW 2137, Australia.
Background:
Deisolation of persons infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, presented a substantial challenge for healthcare workers and policy makers, particularly during the early phases of the pandemic. Data to guide deisolation of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients remain limited, and the risk of transmitting and acquiring infection has changed with the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants and population immunity from previous vaccination or infection, or both.
Aims:
This review examines the evidence to guide the deisolation of SARS-CoV-2-infected inpatients within the hospital setting when clinically improving and also of healthcare workers with COVID-19 prior to returning to work.
Methods:
A review was performed using relevant search terms in Medline, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and PubMed.
Results And Discussion:
The evidence is reviewed with regards to the nature of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, the role of testing to guide deisolation, and the impact of SARS-CoV-2-specific immunity. A paradigm and recommendations are proposed to guide deisolation for inpatients and return to work for healthcare workers.
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