In this study, a patient space occupied by a patient with confirmed COVID-19 in anopen-space multiple bed area in the Intermediate Care Unit will be equipped with amobile, optimally placed high efficiency particulate air ("HEPA")-equivalent airfiltration unit ("Baldachin") in addition to existing hospital policy infectionprevention and control measures. The investigators are going to evaluate thisintervention regarding its capacity to prevent the nosocomial onwards transmission ofSars-COV2 to patients located in the same multiple-bed open space patient area.
SARS-CoV-2 transmission includes a considerable amount of long-distance aerosol
transmission. Ideal isolation is in single rooms. Isolation in special care multiple bed
open-space patient areas (e.g. in the Intensive and Intermediate Care Unit) is set back
to onsite isolation with distancing and ventilation as partial mitigation measures
against nosocomial transmission.
The investigators want to assess the effect of supplementation of existing room
ventilation by means of an optimally placed mobile high efficiency particulate air
("HEPA") filtration unit ("Baldachin") in the ceiling area over confirmed COVID-19
infected patients on nosocomial onwards transmission to patients located in the same
open-space multiple bed area. In order to quantify the effect, the investigators will
determine the proportion of nosocomially infected individuals as assessed by
nasopharyngeal swab on day 4 after the last exposure amongst all in the same room exposed
patients in cardiovascular open-space Intermediate Care Unit rooms with "Baldachin" vs.
open-space Intermediate Care Unit rooms without "Baldachin".
Device: Baldachin
Environmental intervention: Equipment of a patient space of a patient with confirmed
COVID-19 in open-space multiple bed Intermediate Care Unit areas with a mobile, optimally
placed high efficiency particulate air ("HEPA")-equivalent air filtration unit
("Baldachin") in addition to existing room ventilation and hospital policy infection
prevention and control measures.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Adult inpatients of included open-space IMC units with lab-confirmed SARS-CoV-2
infection, symptom onset or date of test ≤10 days prior inclusion.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Pregnancy, unability to give consent (e.g. informed consent form not available in
patient language or non-judicious)
Inselspital Bern University Hospital
Bern, Canton Of Bern, Switzerland
Investigator: Philipp Jent, MD
Contact: +41 31 632 99 92
philipp.jent@insel.ch
Philipp Jent, MD
+41 31 632 99 92
philipp.jent@insel.ch
Karin J Grimm, MD
+41 31 63 2 76 85
KarinJanina.Grimm@insel.ch
Philipp Jent, MD, Principal Investigator
Department of Infectious Diseases Inselspital Bern University Hospital