Status: nosocomial transmission and prevention of SARS‐CoV‐2 in a Danish context

Calum, H; Sode, LP; Pedersen, M

The unexpected pandemic with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has challenged the health care sector as regards preventing and controlling the virus from spreading between patients and hospital personnel. The massive spread of the pandemic has led State authorities to introduce restrictions on society and public behavior unprecedented in modern times. First, we describe the Danish effort regarding standard precautions, personal protective equipment, and disinfection in the health care setting with Denmark as an example. As regards number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) related hospital submissions, deaths, and infected health care workers Denmark is not the hardest hit country compared to others. This cannot be explained by hardness of the restrictions alone. Several aspects concerning the person‐to‐person spread of SARS‐CoV‐2 are not fully understood and require more experimental studies. The dogma is that virus transmission happens through either respiratory droplets or contact routes. However, it is likely not the whole truth, as we describe scenarios where droplets and/or direct contact cannot alone explain how all patients were infected. Aspects of the physiology of airborne transmission is considered, as several parameters are in play beyond particle size and respiratory rate. These are ozone concentration, ambient temperature, and humidity. In a hospital environment these factors are not necessarily all controllable, making infection prevention and control a challenge.