Environmental Control Measures Limit SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in Hotel Quarantine

Mr Bradley Mcentee¹

¹Special Health Accommodation, Sydney, Australia

Background:

The Special Health Accommodation (SHA) was established on 29 March 2020 as a mandatory health hotel quarantine facility for SARS-CoV-2 symptomatic and positive returned travellers, in addition to providing subacute care to returned travellers with comorbidities and complex health needs. This abstract will outline that when the highest standard of environmental controls are implemented as part of the hierarchy of controls, zero transmission of SARS-CoV-2 can be achieved in hotel quarantine.

Method or Actions:

The environmental control measures implemented to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission within the SHA are:

–              Hourly high touch point cleaning and disinfection, including on every patient level.

–              8th hourly cleaning and disinfection of: Floors, walls, staff rooms, staff bathrooms and common areas.

–              Strict cleaning and disinfection of shared equipment

–              Contactless check in process for patients.

–              Staff are to remove gloves and perform hand hygiene before and after exiting the lift at all times.

–              Patients are swabbed inside their room with the door closed.

–              Weekly transmission based precaution, personal protective equipment, hand hygiene and cleaning audits.

–              Aerosol Generating Procedures have never been permitted in the SHA

Results:

SHA has cared for 14,000 patients, 1,500 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients including 275 Variants and have had zero transmission events.

Conclusion:

Zero transmission rates can be achieved in a non purpose built hotel quarantine environment when strict environmental control measures are implemented as part of the hierarchy of controls.

Biography:

Mr Bradley McEntee, Infection Prevention & Control Nurse Manager for the Special Health Accommodation.

Bradley established the Infection Prevention & Control Program for the Special Health Accommodation in March 2020. The program adapated hotels into a subacute care setting and has been successful in caring for over 14,000 returned travellers, 1,500 whom were COVID-19 positive patients including 275 with a variant of concern with zero transmission between patients or to staff.