Site maintenance Wednesday, November 13th, 2024. Please note that access to some content and account information will be unavailable on this date.
Full access
Brief Reports
Published Online: 6 October 2020

An Epidemiologic Study of COVID-19 Patients in a State Psychiatric Hospital: High Penetrance With Early CDC Guidelines

John W. Thompson, Jr., M.D. [email protected], Amy J. Mikolajewski, Ph.D., Patricia Kissinger, Ph.D., Patrick McCrossen, M.D., Allison Smither, B.S., Govind Datta Chamarthi, M.B.B.S., Zhen Lin, M.D., Ph.D., and Di Tian, M.D., Ph.D.Authors Info & Affiliations
Publication: Psychiatric Services
Volume 71, Number 12
https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.202000270
Track CitationsAdd to favorites
PDF/EPUBFormats

Abstract

Objective:

This study aimed to explore the transmission of COVID-19 in a U.S. state psychiatric hospital setting.

Methods:

Symptomatic and asymptomatic patients were tested throughout a large psychiatric hospital to determine penetrance. The hospital followed initial Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.

Results:

Seventy-eight percent (N=51 of 65) of tested patients in the building where the first positive patient was housed (building zero) tested positive for COVID-19. Eighty-eight percent (N=14 of 16) of tested asymptomatic patients in building zero were positive, compared with 12% (N=6 of 51) of randomly selected asymptomatic patients in a sample from the rest of the hospital.

Conclusions:

A high percentage of patients can become positive for COVID-19 despite following initial CDC guidelines. As such, use of masks by all patients in close-quarter settings prior to the first positive case appears warranted. Recent CDC guidelines align with this strategy.

Formats available

You can view the full content in the following formats:

View PDF/EPUBView Full Text

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to Psychiatric Services
Go to Psychiatric Services
Psychiatric Services
Volume 71 • Number 12 • December 01, 2020
Pages: 1285 - 1287
PubMed: 33019856

History

Received: 22 April 2020
Revision received: 27 April 2020
Accepted: 5 May 2020
Published online: 6 October 2020
Published in print: December 01, 2020

Keywords

  1. inpatient services
  2. COVID-19
  3. asymptomatic transmission
  4. penetrance

Authors

Details

John W. Thompson, Jr., M.D. [email protected]
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Thompson, Mikolajewski), Department of Microbiology and Immunology (Smither), and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (Lin, Tian), Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans; Tulane University of School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans (Kissinger, McCrossen); LaCATS–Clinical Translational Unit, New Orleans (Chamarthi).
View all articles by this author
Amy J. Mikolajewski, Ph.D.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Thompson, Mikolajewski), Department of Microbiology and Immunology (Smither), and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (Lin, Tian), Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans; Tulane University of School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans (Kissinger, McCrossen); LaCATS–Clinical Translational Unit, New Orleans (Chamarthi).
View all articles by this author
Patricia Kissinger, Ph.D.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Thompson, Mikolajewski), Department of Microbiology and Immunology (Smither), and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (Lin, Tian), Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans; Tulane University of School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans (Kissinger, McCrossen); LaCATS–Clinical Translational Unit, New Orleans (Chamarthi).
View all articles by this author
Patrick McCrossen, M.D.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Thompson, Mikolajewski), Department of Microbiology and Immunology (Smither), and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (Lin, Tian), Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans; Tulane University of School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans (Kissinger, McCrossen); LaCATS–Clinical Translational Unit, New Orleans (Chamarthi).
View all articles by this author
Allison Smither, B.S.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Thompson, Mikolajewski), Department of Microbiology and Immunology (Smither), and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (Lin, Tian), Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans; Tulane University of School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans (Kissinger, McCrossen); LaCATS–Clinical Translational Unit, New Orleans (Chamarthi).
View all articles by this author
Govind Datta Chamarthi, M.B.B.S.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Thompson, Mikolajewski), Department of Microbiology and Immunology (Smither), and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (Lin, Tian), Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans; Tulane University of School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans (Kissinger, McCrossen); LaCATS–Clinical Translational Unit, New Orleans (Chamarthi).
View all articles by this author
Zhen Lin, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Thompson, Mikolajewski), Department of Microbiology and Immunology (Smither), and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (Lin, Tian), Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans; Tulane University of School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans (Kissinger, McCrossen); LaCATS–Clinical Translational Unit, New Orleans (Chamarthi).
View all articles by this author
Di Tian, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (Thompson, Mikolajewski), Department of Microbiology and Immunology (Smither), and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (Lin, Tian), Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans; Tulane University of School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans (Kissinger, McCrossen); LaCATS–Clinical Translational Unit, New Orleans (Chamarthi).
View all articles by this author

Notes

Send correspondence to Dr. Thompson ([email protected]).

Competing Interests

The authors report no financial relationships with commercial interests.

Metrics & Citations

Metrics

Citations

Export Citations

If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.

For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu.

Format
Citation style
Style
Copy to clipboard
Tips for downloading citations

View Options

View options

PDF/EPUB

View PDF/EPUB

Full Text

View Full Text

Login options

Already a subscriber? Access your subscription through your login credentials or your institution for full access to this article.

Personal login Institutional Login Open Athens login

Not a subscriber?

Subscribe Now / Learn More

PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5-TR® library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.

Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

Share

Share

Share article link

Share

×

As described within the American Psychiatric Association (APA)'s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, this website utilizes cookies, including for the purpose of offering an optimal online experience and services tailored to your preferences. Please read the entire Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. By closing this message, browsing this website, continuing the navigation, or otherwise continuing to use the APA's websites, you confirm that you understand and accept the terms of the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, including the utilization of cookies.