Dynamics of nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 transmissions: Facing the challenge of variants of concern in a Brazilian reference hospital

The hospital environment can be considered a high risk for the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 transmission outbreaks, either for health professionals who are directly involved in the care of suspected or confirmed cases of the disease, or for patients, for being in an environment more vulnerable to the acquisition of nosocomial infections. In this molecular epidemiology study, we aimed to analyze the occurrence and transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in outbreaks and local chains of transmission in a large tertiary teaching hospital in southern Brazil, in addition to verifying circulating strains and their epidemiological relation in the local context, from September 21, 2020 to October 5, 2021. Positive samples involved in COVID-19 clusters or outbreaks were analyzed using clinical, epidemiological and genomic data. Different lineages and sublineages among patients in the same room were observed. Most patients had their first clinical manifestation, evidence of suspicion, and diagnostic confirmation within 7-14 days or >14 days after hospital admission. The patients who have contact with confirmed cases of COVID-19 spent, on average, 6.28 days in the same environment until the positive test. There was a significant association between the outcome and the number of vaccine doses (p < 0.05), where those who received two doses presented a lower occurrence of death. There was a total replacement of variant of concern (VOC) Gamma by VOC Delta from August 2021 at the study site. Although the epidemiological analysis indicates nosocomial infections, through genomic sequencing, it was established that most of the hospital outbreaks had different origins. These findings highlight the utility of integrating epidemiological and genomic data to identify possible routes of viral entry and dissemination.

Automated summary

In this molecular epidemiology study, the occurrence and transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in outbreaks and local transmission chains were analyzed in a large tertiary teaching hospital in southern Brazil. Different lineages and sublineages were observed among patients in the same room. Most patients showed clinical manifestations, suspicions, and diagnostic confirmation within 7-14 days or >14 days after hospital admission. The average duration of contact between patients and confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the same environment was 6.28 days. The study site experienced a complete replacement of variant of concern (VOC) Gamma by VOC Delta from August 2021. Although nosocomial infections were indicated by epidemiological analysis, genomic sequencing confirmed different origins for most hospital outbreaks. These findings emphasize the importance of integrating epidemiological and genomic data to identify potential routes of viral entry and dissemination.