Significant number of hospital patients may have asymptomatic COVID-19

A significant portion of patients who enter hospitals for reasons such as trauma or maternity care may be putting staff and other patients at risk for COVID-19, according to a study using universal SARS-CoV-2 surveillance data collected at the University of Louisville Hospital over 12 weeks in 2020. The study was published in the March issue of the American Journal of Infection Control. The proportion of positive samples varied over time between 1% and 6%. Among the patients who tested positive, more than a third (37%) were asymptomatic. “Acute care facilities should consider universal surveillance testing on admission to identify all positive patients—symptomatic or asymptomatic,” the researchers concluded.