Containment of a COVID-19 Outbreak in an Inpatient Geriatric Psychiatry Unit.

The first known COVID-19 outbreak in a long-term care facility in the United States was identified on February 28, 2020, in King County, Washington. That facility became the initial U.S.

Prolonged persistence of PCR-detectable virus during an outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 in an inpatient geriatric psychiatry unit in King County, Washington.

Background: We describe key characteristics, interventions, and outcomes of a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak within an inpatient geriatric psychiatry unit at the University of Washington Medical Center - Northwest.

Methods: After identifying 2 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection on March 11, 2020, we conducted an outbreak investigation and employed targeted interventions including: screening of patients and staff; isolation and cohorting of confirmed cases; serial testing; and enhanced infection prevention measures.

Results: We identified 10 patients and 7 staff members with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Preventive efficacy and cost-effectiveness of point-of-use water filtration in a subacute care unit.

Infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other waterborne pathogens (WBPs) are major contributors to serious morbidity and mortality in hospitals. We sought to determine whether point-of-use (POU) water filtration might result in decreased risk of infection in the subacute care unit (SACU) of a 208-bed medical center. Our findings indicate that POU water filtration can significantly and cost-effectively reduce colonization of and infection with WBPs, including ventilator-associated pneumonia, in an SACU.