COVID-19 Testing at Hospitals and N95 Masks Could Reduce Deaths and Costs: Scientists

A new study published in the Journal of Hospital Infection recommends testing patients for COVID-19 upon admission and requiring staff to wear N95 masks. Scientists from the Burnet Institute in Melbourne discovered that 15 to 25 percent of patients who tested positive for COVID-19 got the virus after being admitted to the hospital. The data also showed a 6 percent higher mortality rate among those who caught COVID-19 in hospital, compared to those who did not. The researchers unveiled what they described as “simple infection control measures” which could save lives and lower costs for hospitals. “These measures include testing patients for COVID-19 on admission, requiring staff to wear N95 masks in clinical areas, and using Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) or Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests to prevent transmissions,” the Burnet Institute said....