Michael Gerfin, Department of Economics, University of Bern
Michael Gerfin, Department of Economics, University of Bern - A research team at Inselspital, the University of Bern and the University of Trieste (It) has investigated the effectiveness and economic efficiency of in-hospital preventive measures to protect healthcare workers. For this purpose, a mathematical model of SARS-CoV-2 transmission was developed, incorporating factors both inside and outside the hospital. Regular, broad-based, real-time PCR testing was found to be the most economical and effective method for screening and thereby maintaining hospital infrastructure. The availability of healthy and trained hospital staff has proven to be a crucial, sometime critical, variable in managing the Covid-19 pandemic. The specific risks to healthcare workers and opportunities for effective, economical, and pragmatic protection were only rudimentarily known at the onset of the pandemic. Frequent, broad-based testing. The most important finding of the study: When economic aspects are included, regular testing at intervals of at least 7 days and strict application of rules, even to persons without symptoms, are the most effective measures to prevent uncontrolled spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the hospital setting.
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