Modeling the Effectiveness of Healthcare Personnel Reactive Testing and Screening for the SARS-Cov-2 Omicron Variant within Nursing Homes
2022
The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 has been hypothesized to exhibit faster clearance (time from peak viral concentration to clearance of acute infection), may be less detectable by antigen tests (decreased sensitivity), and may be more likely to evade immunity conferred by past infection or vaccination) compared to prior variants. This calls for a reassessment of strategies to prevent its spread, especially in vulnerable settings like nursing homes.
Using a model that tracks viral shedding patterns, this study sought the best testing strategy for nursing home staff to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Immediate testing after identifying a positive case can cut transmission by 38% in the facility. Furthermore, daily screening tests, depending on their sensitivity, could prevent between 30% to 78% of transmission. This approach offers a framework for prospectively evaluating testing strategies when dealing with new variant outbreaks and scarce data.
Source:
Zipfel CM, Paul P, Gowler CD et al. Modeling the Effectiveness of Healthcare Personnel Reactive Testing and Screening for the SARS-Cov-2 Omicron Variant within Nursing Homes. Clinical Infectious Diseases 2022; 75: S225-S230. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciac505