J Korean Med Sci.  2020 Dec;35(50):e431. 10.3346/jkms.2020.35.e431.

Risk of COVID-19 Transmission from Infected Outpatients to Healthcare Workers in an Outpatient Clinic

• Chung H
• Kim EO
• Kim SH
• Jung J

• KMID: 2509757
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2020.35.e431

Abstract

From January to September 2020, we conducted contact-tracing for confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients who visited our outpatient clinic to evaluate the risk of COVID-19 transmission from infected patients to healthcare workers (HCWs). COVID-19 was diagnosed in 8 outpatients. Per the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARSCoV-2) polymerase chain reaction test results, none of the 317 HCWs who came in contact had a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis (0.00%; 95% confidence interval, 0.00%–0.01%). This low rate of transmission from infected outpatients to HCWs suggests that standard precaution such as using surgical mask and hand hygiene protects HCWs from SARS-CoV-2 in a low-risk, outpatient clinic setting.

Keyword

SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Outpatient; Healthcare Workers

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Chronology of symptom onset, clinic visit, and coronavirus disease 2019 diagnosis.EGD = esophagogastroduodenoscopy, EKG = electrocardiogram, PET = positron emission tomography.

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