Ending Universal Masking, Admission Testing Tied To Increase In Hospital-Onset COVID-19 Infections, Researchers Find

Healio (4/23, Stulpin) reports, “Ending universal masking and admission testing of all hospitalized patients was associated with an increase in hospital-onset COVID-19 at five Massachusetts hospitals, researchers found.” According to the study, “the mean weekly ratio of new hospital-onset to community-onset SARS-CoV-2 infections rose from 2.6% before omicron, to 8.5% (95% CI, 7%-9.9%) during omicron, to 17% (95% CI, 15%-19%) after universal admission testing and masking ended.” These results were presented at the 2024 Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Spring Conference.