Becker's Hospital Review

81 FINANCE CMO / CARE DELIVERY Brigham and Women's COVID-19 outbreak traced to patient who tested negative twice By Mackenzie Bean A patient who tested negative for COVID-19 twice in 24 hours is like- ly the source of Brigham and Wom- en's Hospital COVID-19 outbreak involving more than 50 people last fall, researchers said in an analysis published Feb. 9 in Annals of Internal Medicine. e Boston-based hospital detected the COVID-19 cluster in September 2020 that ultimately sickened 14 patients and 38 staff members. Aer the outbreak was contained, researchers conducted an in-depth analysis to understand how the virus spread through the hospital. Researchers traced the cluster to a patient who tested negative for the virus upon admis- sion and again 12 hours later via polymerase chain reaction testing. e patient had pul- monary disease and received nebulizer treat- ments — a liquid medication administered as a fine mist patients inhale. Staff members said the patient coughed fre- quently and was not speaking clearly, so staff members had to lean in closely to hear. Re- searchers said this individual likely infected several staff members, along with patients who shared a room with the individual. Researchers also interviewed 32 sickened staff members and 128 uninfected but ex- posed employees. ey found infected staff were more likely to have: • Been present while patients received neb- ulizers • Interacted with SARS-CoV-2-positive staff members in clinical areas • Spent more time exposed to COVID-19 pa- tients • Not worn eye protection In at least two cases, staff members also re- ported getting infected, despite wearing proper personal protective equipment. "Case clusters are the exception rather than the rule in healthcare settings," Michael Klompas, MD, an infectious disease physi- cian and hospital epidemiologist at Brigham and Women's, said in a news release. "But this cluster and others show that if there is a cluster, we can contain it, and that there are multiple proactive measures we can take to decrease the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmis- sion in hospitals." n Florida health department increases security at vaccine site after women disguise themselves to get vaccinated, officials say By Erica Carbajal F lorida health officials said they've increased security at the Orange County Convention Center after two women allegedly dressed up in elderly disguises to try and get second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, ABC News reported Feb. 18. Both women, in their 30s and 40s, had valid vaccination cards from their first dose, but the second time around, health officials at the site no- ticed their birthdates didn't match the ones used to register for the vac- cine, police said. Deputies from the Orange County Sheriff's Office were then called to issue trespass warnings Feb. 17, according to a statement shared with Becker's Hospital Review. "No other law enforcement action was taken," the statement said. Raul Pino, MD, director of the Florida Health Department in Orange Coun- ty, said he's not sure how the women were able to get their first doses. "I don't know how they escaped the first time," Dr. Pino said during a Feb. 18 news conference, ABC News reported. The women were wearing bon- nets, gloves and glasses when they showed up for their second doses, according to Dr. Pino. "This is the hottest commodity that is out there right now," Dr. Pino said, adding that security efforts at the site have been ramped up to "deter any possible ill-intentions that someone may have." n 5 best paying cities, states for physicians By Gabrielle Masson B eing a physician is one of the top jobs in the U.S., with a median sal- ary of $206,500 in 2019, according to a U.S. News & World report. The publication used median salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The best paying cities for physicians: 1. Janesville, Wis.: $284,720 2. Laredo, Texas: $282,730 3. Salinas, Calif.: $282,640 4. Pittsfield, Mass.: $279,900 5. Ocean City, N.J.: $279,790 The best paying states for physicians: 1. Alaska: $258,550 2. New Hampshire: $257,220 3. Maine: $251,930 4. Montana: $247,720 5. Wisconsin: $246,060 n

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