Publications by authors named "Lithia Lai-Ha Yuen"
Article Synopsis
- - The study investigated the effectiveness of mobile modular high-efficiency particulate air filter units (MMHUs) in reducing SARS-CoV-2 air dispersal during a COVID-19 outbreak in a hospital setting.
- - Over 69% of patients in the affected wards contracted COVID-19 within four days, with the virus detectable in the air for up to 20 days, highlighting significant air transmission risk.
- - Results showed that using MMHUs significantly reduced the viral load in the air, making it five times lower in treated areas compared to untreated ones, and confirmed all strains were related to the Omicron variant.
Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has influenced antimicrobial consumption and incidence of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). We aimed to study the epidemiology of MDROs before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong.
Methods: With the maintenance of infection control measures, we described the trend of MDRO infections, including methicillin-resistant (MRSA), carbapenem-resistant (CRA), and extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase-(ESBL)-producing Enterobacterales, in a healthcare region with 3100-bed before (1 January 2016 to 31 December 2019, period 1) and during COVID-19 (1 January 2020 to 30 September 2022, period 2), together with the antimicrobial consumption using piecewise Poisson regression.
Background: No nosocomial infection was recorded in our healthcare workers (HCWs) during the early phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. With the emergence of the Omicron variant of increased transmissibility, infection in HCWs occurred as expected. We aimed to study the epidemiology of infection in HCWs and to describe the infection control measures during the outbreak of the Omicron variant.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe epidemiology of patients with gastrointestinal colonization of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) has not been systematically analyzed. We aimed to analyze the incidence, risk factors, and clinical outcomes of patients with newly identified gastrointestinal colonization of CRAB in a healthcare region in Hong Kong, where a multi-pronged screening strategy for gastrointestinal colonization of CRAB, together with other multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), was conducted by collecting fecal specimens (rectal swab or stool) upon admission and during hospitalization. From 1 October 2015 to 31 December 2019, a total of 161,339 fecal specimens from 63,588 patients, 61,856 (97.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAir dispersal of severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2): Implications for hospital infection control during the fifth wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant in Hong Kong.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol
August 2023
We obtained 24 air samples in 8 general wards temporarily converted into negative-pressure wards admitting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) omicron variant BA.2.2 in Hong Kong.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAntimicrobial stewardship and infection control measures are equally important in the control of antimicrobial-resistant organisms. We conducted a retrospective analysis of the incidence rate of hospital-onset carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) infection (per 1000 patient days) in the Queen Mary Hospital, a 1700-bed, university-affiliated teaching hospital, from period 1 (1 January 2007 to 31 December 2013) to period 2 (1 January 2014 to 31 December 2019), where enhanced infection control measures, including directly observed hand hygiene before meal and medication rounds to conscious patients, and the priority use of single room isolation, were implemented during period 2. This study aimed to investigate the association between enhanced infection control measures and changes in the trend in the incidence rate of hospital-onset CRAB infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Without the implementation of mandatory vaccination, it was difficult to increase the influenza vaccination rate among healthcare workers. We described the strategy of personal coaching and assess its impact in increasing the influenza vaccination rate among healthcare workers in Hong Kong.
Methods: Personal coaching of individual staff led by the infection control officer (ICO) and senior nursing officer (SNO) from infection control team could overcome barriers and promote on-site vaccination.