Introduction
The role of nosocomial transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has been highlighted
by recent evidence suggesting that 20% of SARS-CoV-2 infections among
UK hospital patients and up to 89% of infections among HCWs may have
originated in hospital.2,3 Since the introduction of
‘lockdown’ in the UK, community transmission rates of SARS-CoV-2 have
generally declined.4 Conversely, concerns have been
raised that hospitals could become independent ‘hubs’ for ongoing
SARS-CoV-2 transmission between patients and HCWs, which would
effectively prolong the epidemic.3 In this context,
evolution of the epidemic curves of a hospital’s symptomatic and
asymptomatic workforce have not been well described.
We recently initiated a comprehensive HCW screening programme for
SARS-CoV-2 in a large teaching hospital in Cambridge, UK. Over a
three-week period from 6th to 24th April 2020, 3% (31/1,032) HCWs in the asymptomatic screening
arm , 15.4% (26/169) HCWs in the symptomatic screening arm and
7.7% (4/52) contacts in the symptomatic household contact screening arm tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.1 Our data from the asymptomatic screening arm were consistent with
another study since published.5 Over the subsequent
four weeks from 25th April to 24th May 2020, we performed a further 3,388 additional tests. Here, we
present these longitudinal data, in the context of the hospital patient
population and wider local community.