Background: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Respiratory Protection standard (29 CFR 1910.134) states that it is an employer’s responsibility to establish and maintain a respiratory protection program when a respirator is necessary to protect the health of employees, including annual assessment of adequate respirator fit. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, N95 respirators were rarely used in Philadelphia skilled-nursing facilities (SNFs), and many facilities did not have programs in place or materials to fit test their staff. Methods: The Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s (PDPH) Healthcare Associated Infections/Antimicrobial Resistance (HAI/AR) Program designed and pilot-tested 1.5-hour “train-the-trainer” sessions on OSHA-compliant fit-testing requirements and qualitative procedures. This training was offered to all 47 SNFs beginning May 2021. Training covered the role N95 respirators play in healthcare, proper donning and doffing, OSHA training requirements, medical clearances, record keeping, fit-testing procedure, and demonstrated competency to perform fit testing. Resources that were provided after training included templates of a respiratory protection policy for SNFs, a fit-test record, the OSHA medical clearance form, and a competency checklist. This bundle was designed to help SNFs establish self-sustaining respiratory protection programs. Post-training evaluations were administered on a 6-point Likert scale as well as qualitative, open-ended questions to evaluate the overall quality and effectiveness of the training session. Results: In total, 50 employees (clinical and nonclinical) from 13 Philadelphia SNFs received N95 fit-test training from June through December 2021. The average rating for the training overall was very high (5.9 of 6 points). On average, participants strongly agreed that content presented was directly applicable to their work (5.9 of 6 points), and most strongly agreed that information they learned would alter practices and procedures (5.79 of 6 points). When asked qualitatively what the participant would do differently in practice as a result of the training, the most frequent responses were fit test staff (58%) and educate staff on proper N95 use (60%). Conclusions: The PDPH HAI/AR program created a successful pilot fit-test training program for SNFs, demonstrated by program enrollment and high ratings by participants. This relatively low-cost intervention has provided tools to enhance respiratory protection during the COVID-19 pandemic and has increases the capacity of SNFs to provide essential services for their staff and residents. The PDPH will continue to offer these training sessions to SNFs, with plans to expand to other care settings, such as inpatient behavioral health facilities, outpatient clinics, and emergency medical services.

Funding: Funded by the CDC ELC Project Firstline

Disclosures: None

Antimicrobial therapies are essential tools for transplant recipients who are at high risk for infectious complications. However, judicious use of antimicrobials is critical to preventing the development of antimicrobial resistance. Treatment of multidrug-resistant organisms is challenging and potentially leads to therapies with higher toxicities, intravenous access, and intensive drug monitoring for interactions. Antimicrobial stewardship programs are crucial in the prevention of antimicrobial resistance, though balancing these strategies with the need for early and frequent antibiotic therapy in these immunocompromised patients can be challenging. In this review, we summarize 5 frequently encountered transplant infectious disease stewardship challenges, and we suggest strategies to improve practices for each clinical syndrome. These 5 challenging areas are: asymptomatic bacteriuria in kidney transplant recipients, febrile neutropenia in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, antifungal prophylaxis in liver and lung transplantation, treatment of left-ventricular assist device infections, and Clostridioides difficile infection in solid-organ and hematopoietic stem-cell transplant recipients. Common themes contributing to these challenges include limited data specific to transplant patients, shortcomings in diagnostic testing, and uncertainties in pharmacotherapy.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 N95 mask contamination in healthcare providers (HCPs) treating patients with COVID-19 is poorly understood. Method: We performed a prospective observational study of HCP N95 respirator SARS-CoV-2 contamination during aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) on SARS-CoV-2–positive patients housed in a COVID-19–specific unit at an academic medical center. Medical masks were used as surrogates for N95 respirators to avoid waste and were worn on top of HCP N95 respirators during study AGPs. Study masks were provided to HCPs while donning PPE and were retrieved during doffing. Additionally, during doffing, face shields were swabbed with Floq swabs premoistened with viral transport media (VTM) prior to disinfection. Medical masks were cut into 9 position-based pieces, placed in VTM, vortexed, and centrifuged (Fig. 1). RNA extraction and RT-PCR were completed on all samples. RT-PCR–positive samples underwent cell culture infection to detect cytopathic effects (CPE). Contamination was characterized by mask location and front and back of face shields. Patient COVID-19 symptoms were collected from routine clinical documentation. Study HCPs completed HCP-role–specific routine care (eg, assessing, administering medications, and maintaining oxygen supplementation) while in patient rooms and were observed by study team members. Results: We enrolled 31 HCPs between September and December 2021. HCP and patient characteristics are presented in Table 1. In total, 330 individual samples were obtained from 31 masks and 26 face shields among 12 patient rooms. Of the 330 samples, 0 samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2 via RT-PCR. Positive controls were successfully performed in the laboratory setting to confirm that the virus was recoverable using these methods. Notably, all samples were collected from HCPs caring for COVID-19 patients on high-flow, high-humidity Optiflow (AGP), with an average of 960 seconds (IQR, 525–1,680) spent in each room. In addition to Optiflow and routine care, study speech pathologists completed an additional AGP of fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing. Notably, 29 (94%) of 31 study HCP had physical contact with their patient. Conclusions: Overall, mask contamination in HCPs treating patients with COVID-19 undergoing AGPs was not detectable while wearing face shields, despite patient contact and performing AGP.

Funding: None

Disclosures: None

Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) can be expanded to the outpatient setting to serve as a first line of defense against coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) hospitalizations and to reduce the burden on emergency departments and acute-care hospitals. Given the numerous emergency use authorizations of monoclonal antibodies and oral antivirals, ASPs possess the expertise and leadership to direct ambulatory COVID-19 initiatives and transform it into a predominantly outpatient illness. In this review, we summarize the critical role and benefits of an ASP-championed ambulatory COVID-19 therapeutics program.

Background: Many healthcare facilities have faced the decision of conducting point prevalence testing (PPT) of healthcare workers (HCW) during COVID-19 outbreaks. As a containment strategy, PPT can identify asymptomatic or presymptomatic cases for isolation. It is less clear how useful testing asymptomatic HCW is in understanding the spread and possible routes of transmission in an outbreak. This study investigated HCW cases identified through PPT during acute-care outbreaks in Fraser Health (FH), British Columbia, incorporating both epidemiological and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data to determine their epidemiological source. Methods: This study was a retrospective review of cases associated with COVID-19 acute-care outbreaks in FH occurring between December 2020 and June 2021, when most of these infections were of the alpha and gamma lineages. All patients and HCWs with a positive COVID-19 test and epidemiologically linked to the outbreaks were included in the study. WGS results supported determination of epidemiological source for cases. The proportion of patient and HCW cases related to the outbreak was compared. All analyses were conducted using SAS version 4.3 software with the PROC GLM package. Results: Between December 2020 and June 2021, 49 acute-care COVID-19 outbreaks were declared. Point-prevalence testing of HCWs, in addition to routine patient PPT, was conducted in 28 outbreaks (57%), with 2,167 eligible HCWs (63%) tested. Testing identified 14 previously unknown HCW cases, representing 12.96% of all HCW cases epidemiologically linked to the outbreaks. None of these HCWs were determined to be the index case for their associated outbreak. There was no statistically significant difference between HCWs and patients regarding WGS failure rate, and all failed samples were removed from further analysis. Patients were 3.8 times as likely as HCWs to present as symptomatic when testing positive. HCWs were 2.2 times as likely as patients to have WGS results unrelated to the outbreak. Discussion: Although point-prevalence testing of HCW identified previously unknown cases, these cases were more likely than patients to be unrelated to the outbreak and therefore less useful in understanding the epidemiology of the outbreak. It is difficult to determine whether HCW PPT was effective at preventing transmission, especially with robust infection prevention measures already in place. Patients were more likely than HCWs to present as asymptomatic, however this may be due to the attribution of symptoms to other conditions. Conclusions: Point prevalence testing of HCWs during COVID-19 outbreaks may assist with preventing transmission but is less likely to contribute meaningful information to the investigation.

Funding: None

Disclosures: None

Hospital construction and renovation activities are the main cause of healthcare-associated fungal outbreaks. Infection control risk assessments (ICRAs) for renovation and construction decrease the risk of healthcare-associated fungal outbreaks, but they are typically not performed in developing countries. We reviewed an outbreak investigation to limit the construction-related fungal infections in a COVID-19 ICU in a resource-limited setting.

Background: Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in acute-care settings affects patients, healthcare workers, and the already-burdened healthcare system. An analysis of risk factors associated with outbreak severity was conducted to inform prevention strategies. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional analysis of COVID-19 outbreaks at Fraser Health (FH) acute-care sites between March 2020 and March 2021. Outbreak severity measures included COVID-19 attack rate, outbreak duration, and 30-day case mortality. Covariates at patient, outbreak, unit level, and facility level were included (Table 1). Generalized linear models with generalized estimation equations were used for all outcome measures, with outbreak duration and 30-day case mortality using multivariate negative binomial distributions, and attack rate using Gaussian distribution. A P value of .05 indicated statistical significance. Analyses

were performed using SAS version 3.8 software, R version 4.1.0 software, and Stata version 16.0 software. Results: Between March 2020 and March 2021, 54 COVID-19 outbreaks were declared in FH acute-care sites involving 455 SARS-CoV-2–positive patients. The average outbreak duration was 23 days, the average attack rate was 28%, and the average 30-day all-cause mortality per outbreak was 2 deaths. The results of the full models are shown in Table 1. Discussion: We identified an inverse relationship between increased hand hygiene compliance during outbreaks and all 3 severity measures. Paradoxically, hand hygiene rates in the year prior to the pandemic were positively associated with duration and mortality. Increased unit age was also associated with increases in each of the severity measures. Comorbidity total factor was correlated with outbreak attack rate and duration, demonstrating the importance of individual patient characteristics in an outbreak. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the importance of hand hygiene practices during an outbreak. Additionally, it is important to understand the difficulties faced by older facilities, many of which face infrastructural challenges. This study reinforces the need to incorporate infection control standards into healthcare planning and construction.

Funding: None

Disclosures: None

Background: The National University Hospital (NUH) is a 1,200 bed tertiary-care hospital with no documented nosocomial transmission of COVID-19 among patients for the first year and a half of the pandemic, despite 65% of the patients being housed in 4- to 8-bedded open cubicles with shared bathrooms. However, this arrangement changed in late September 2021 with large community clusters including in healthcare institutions nationally associated with the spread of the δ (delta) variant of SARS-CoV-2. We conducted a retrospective review of hospital epidemiology data to determine risk factors for SARS-COV-2 transmission during this period. Methods: Index patients were defined as the first patient in an open cubicle with a confirmed positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test. Contacts were defined as being in the same cubicle as a patient before isolation from 2 days before symptom onset, up to 7 days from positive test if asymptomatic. Clinical and patient movement data were obtained manually from routine clinical records. Proximity of the contact from the index was classified as within, or more than, 2 m away, according to the prevailing definition from the Singapore Ministry of Health. A univariate analysis was performed to identify risk factors for nosocomial acquisition of SARS-CoV-2. The analysis was deemed exempt from ethics review (reference no. NHG-DSRB-2021/01026). Results: From October 1 to November 30, 2021, 30 index cases occurred in open cubicles identified (median, 9 days after admission; IQR, 19 days). Contact tracing yielded 211 contacts, of whom 10 (4.7%) were infected. Linear regression analysis found the duration of contact for each hour spent in the same room as the index case was the only statistically significant risk variable for contracting COVID-19, with an odds ratio 1.02 (Table 1). Conclusions: Patients in open cubicles are at risk for nosocomial transmission of COVID-19 and other infections. The duration of contact appeared to be more important than vaccination status of index or ward ventilation status. Larger multicentered studies are needed to validate this finding, which has significant implications for infection prevention strategies and pandemic planning.

Funding: None

Disclosures: None

We surveyed healthcare workers within the Duke Antimicrobial Stewardship Outreach Network (DASON) to describe beliefs regarding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination and their decision-making process behind vaccination recommendations. In contrast to the type of messaging that appealed most on a personal level to the healthcare workers, they preferred a more generic message emphasizing safety and efficacy when making vaccination recommendations.

Background: The Cleveland Clinic Main Campus is a multispecialty academic medical center with 1,200 adult patient beds, 58% of which are double occupancy. Our facility relies on double-occupancy rooms to provide needed care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inherently, double occupancy poses a greater risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 despite mitigation efforts. We investigated the incidence of postexposure SARS-CoV-2 infection in double-occupancy rooms and evaluated risk factors for viral transmission. Methods: Early in the observation period patients were tested for SARS-CoV-2 based on clinical suspicion. By June 2020, all admitted patients were tested. Symptomatic patients were admitted with pending tests under transmission-based precautions. Asymptomatic patients were managed with standard precautions including patients admitted to double-occupancy rooms. A double-occupancy exposure event was defined as an uninfected patient sharing a room with a patient positive for SARS-CoV-2. All patient exposures were tracked and evaluated by the infection prevention (IP) team. The IP prospective review of source patients included determination of lowest cycle threshold (Ct) value of first COVID-19 test, and whether their infection was hospital or community onset. Review of exposed patients included sex, age, and exposure time (in hours) to the source patient. Postexposure infection was defined as a positive test for SARS-CoV-2 in the exposed population within 14 days of the defined exposure event. We fit a multivariable logistic regression model to estimate the effect of exposure time on the odds of postexposure infection in susceptible roommates. Results: From March 15 to December 15, 2020, 172 susceptible patients were exposed to a roommate with COVID-19. Also, 28 exposed patients met our definition for postexposure infection (attack rate, 16%). The frequency of postexposure infection was higher in patients for whom the source was hospital-onset versus community-onset disease (25% vs 10%; P = .01) and when the source patient’s Ct value was below the median value of 21.1 (26% vs 11% p Conclusions: We identified a postexposure infection attack rate of 16% for double-occupancy patients in the first 9 months of the pandemic. Time exposed to source patient was significantly associated with infection. Our experience demonstrates the potential benefit of asymptomatic admission testing with expedited turnaround time to mitigate viral transmission between patients in double-occupancy rooms.

Funding: None

Disclosures: None

Catheter-related infections increased during surges of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in an 11-hospital system in New York City. A disproportionate number of central-line infections occurred in larger hospitals. Patients with COVID-19 had shorter times from catheter insertion to infection and a higher incidence of infections with enterococci.

Background: Face masks are a major tool for reducing the spread of COVID-19 has been the use of face masks because (1) they protect the wearer from aerosol laden virus in the environment and (2) they reduce aerosol emissions to the environment from infected individuals. Methods that quantify the fitted mask filtration efficiency for protection of the wearer are well established (eg, Sickbert-Bennett et al, JAMA Intern Med 2020;180:1607). In contrast, current methods for assessing face-mask containment efficiency are generally semiquantitative and rely on measurement of a very low concentration of aerosols emitted from a healthy or infected human, or the use of mannequins in which a high concentration of surrogate aerosols can be introduced inside the mask. Methods: Expanding on our standard methods used for fitted face-mask filtration efficiency, we designed a small-volume, low-ventilation chamber to accommodate a seated study participant. The study participant wore a ported face mask to allow introduction of a stream of 0.05 μm NaCl particles at a constant concentration (TSI 8026 particle generator) into the mask space. The ambient chamber concentration was continuously measured by a TSI 3775 condensation particle counter sampling 2 feet (~2 m) in front of the participant’s head over a series of three 3-minute periods: (1) resting, (2) reading out loud, and (3) repeated forceful coughing (2 × 10 coughs) (~450 L/min peak flows). Figure 1 shows a raw data sample for the coughing procedure. Containment efficiency (%) for each mask and procedure were determined as 100 × (1 – the average of all 1 − second ambient concentration values between 30 and 180 seconds divided by the same for the “no mask” condition). Results: Table 1 shows the average % containment efficiency for 2 study days with each mask or procedure in an adult male. The 2-ear-loop masks (KN95 and procedure) tested during coughing had the greatest reduction in % containment efficiency compared to that during resting breathing, likely owing to a decreased mask fit with transient pressure increase inside the mask associated with the coughs. The N95 was least affected by the introduction of reading and/or coughing, maintaining near 95% containment efficiency throughout. Conclusions: Our preliminary data on fitted containment efficiency of masks under different conditions suggest that the fitted containment efficiency closely mimics their performance for personal protection. This information that may aid in providing optimum source control in indoor environments.

Funding: None

Disclosures: None

Background: As of January 2022, more than 57 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the United States. Three primary COVID-19 vaccines are widely available: Pfizer (BNT162b2), Moderna (mRNA-1273), and Johnson & Johnson’s-Janssen (JNJ-78436735). The vaccines are effective but do not prevent all infections. We investigated trends in type of vaccine receipt, demographic characteristics, and disease outcomes in COVID-19 breakthrough infections among hospitalized patients. Methods: A breakthrough case is defined as the detection of SARS-CoV-2 ≥14 days after completion of all doses of an FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine. An electronic medical record report in EPIC EHR software identified 85 fully vaccinated patients with a documented positive SARS-CoV-2 result between February and September 2021 at 2 hospitals in southeastern Michigan. Demographic information and hospitalization characteristics, including length of stay and oxygen requirements, were collected from the report. Patients were classified into disease severity categories: nonsevere, severe, or critical. A case was considered severe if the patient’s oxygen saturation level (SpO2) was ≤94% on room air or if the patient required supplemental oxygen. Illness was considered critical if the patient developed respiratory failure, including mechanical ventilation or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. All other cases were classified as nonsevere. Cycle threshold (Ct) values, the number of PCR cycles required to reach a threshold of SARS-CoV-2 genomic material, were collected from the hospital microbiology lab. Results: We identified 85 breakthrough infections (Fig. 1). The average patient age was 69.9±15.7 years, and 44 (51.8%) were female. Severe disease was most common (n = 73, 85.9%) followed by nonsevere disease (n = 7, 8.24%), and 9 patients (10.6%) in this cohort died. Most patients received either the Moderna (n = 35, 41.2%) or Pfizer (n = 38, 44.7%) vaccines. Pfizer vaccine receipt was most common among patients with severe illness (n = 33 of 73, 45.2%), and Moderna vaccine receipt was most common among patients with critical illness (n = 4 of 5, 80.0%). Average time from last vaccination to positive test was longest among Moderna vaccine recipients (181.9±43.1 days) and shortest among J&J vaccine recipients (91.0±61.1 days). The average Ct value was 23.8±7.5 and ranged from 13.0 to 41.3. There were no appreciable differences in the average Ct value by vaccine manufacturer. Conclusions: Breakthrough infections among hospitalized patients were uncommon, but incidence increased with time after vaccine receipt in all vaccines. Further study is needed to examine differences and severity in breakthrough infections by vaccine type and in individuals who completed booster vaccines.

Funding: None

Disclosures: None

In this retrospective cohort study, we evaluated the predictive value of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nasal swabs for the development of MRSA infections in patients with left ventricular assist devices. In 106 patients, the MRSA nasal swab had a negative predictive value of 92.9% demonstrating a potential role in antibiotic de-escalation.

Background: Vaccination against COVID-19 has demonstrated high efficacy in preventing illness severe enough to result in hospitalization. Despite these data, universal vaccine adoption by different population groups, including hospital employees, has been a challenging public health task. Vaccine-associated adverse events, the novelty of the vaccines, and the absence of long-term follow-up data have been reported as major contributors to COVID-19 vaccines mistrust. We sought to quantify postvaccination adverse events, to assess their correlation with unvaccinated status, and to evaluate other factors contributing to COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy. Methods: In a 240-bed community hospital located in a metropolitan area in the United States, we conducted a voluntary and anonymous online survey among contracted employees between September and November 2021. The study protocol was approved by the institutional review board at our facility. Results: Of all 185 responders, 143 (77%) were female, 95 (51%) were aged <51 years, and 146 were White (79%). Most (n = 100, 54%) reported no past medical history. Most common comorbidities included heart disease (n = 45, 24%), diabetes (n = 20, 11%), and chronic lung disease (n = 17, 9%). Among those surveyed, 178 were vaccinated either fully (n = 172, 93%) or partially (n = 6, 3%), and 7 (4%) were unvaccinated. Moderna was the most common vaccine received (n = 152, 85%). Those who received a 2-dose series reported experiencing more adverse events after the second dose than after the first dose (710 vs 451) of either Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. Adverse events included pain at the injection site (n = 257, 22%), fatigue (n = 178, 15%), chills (n = 133, 11%), muscle pain (n = 120, 10%), and headache (n = 117, 10%). Also, 2 responders reported omitting the second dose due to the severity of symptoms after the first dose of both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Concern for safety (n = 5, 71%) was the leading reason for vaccine refusal among unvaccinated followed by concern for efficacy (n = 3, 43%), lack of trust in government promoting vaccination (n = 3, 43%), religious reasons (n = 2, 28%), and immunity due to prior COVID-19 (n = 2, 28%). In addition, 3 responders reported intent to be vaccinated in the future. Conclusions: Most of the responders reported at least 1 adverse event related to COVID-19 vaccination. No severe adverse events were reported; however, a high prevalence of self-limited postvaccination adverse events might be misinterpreted as a concern for vaccine safety, as seen among surveyed unvaccinated individuals in our cohort. Targeted education is needed to limit knowledge gaps and address existing cognitive biases in COVID-19 vaccination among hospital employees.

Funding: None

Disclosures: None

Background: Postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) include fatigue, dyspnea, anxiety, and cognitive impairment. Few studies have explored the prevalence or presentation of PASC among nursing home (NH) residents. Method: A case–control study was conducted at 1 NH in Michigan in December 2021. Cases were defined as residents with SARS-CoV-2 infection between November 2, 2020, and October 8, 2021. Controls lived at the same NH during this interval and never tested positive for SARS CoV-2. Patient characteristics were compared between cases and controls using the Fisher exact test and Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Primary outcomes were functional decline, cognition, and adverse health outcomes. Outcomes were assessed by comparing measures on last observation to observations before COVID-19 diagnosis (cases) or to earliest observation (controls). Multivariable logistic regression assessed correlation between COVID-19 diagnosis and outcomes. Results: In total, 152 residents were identified for inclusion (147 included in final analyses, 76 cases, 71 controls); 5 were excluded due to insufficient data. We collected the following resident characteristics: 66% were aged ≥80 years; 73% were female; 95% were non-Hispanic white; 82% were long-stay residents; median of 3 comorbidities (IQR, 2–4). The mean number of follow-up observations was 2.60 (SD, 1.25). No significant differences in population characteristics were detected between cases and controls. Moreover, 106 patients (46 cases and 60 controls) had at least 1 follow-up visit and were thus included in the analyses to evaluate long-term outcomes. Among them, cases experienced significant declines in completing transfers (OR 5.65, p Conclusions: Nursing home residents with COVID-19 are more likely to enter hospice and have a higher mortality rate in the year following infection. Survivors experience significant functional decline in basic activities of daily living, specifically in the ability to transfer and dress. Larger studies are needed to further characterize our findings and to design interventions that can help overcome these long-term sequelae from COVID-19.

Funding: None

Disclosures: None