@article{Moreno_Martos_D-2022_84015,
title = {A computational investigation of COVID-19 transmission inside hospital wards and associated costs},
author = {Moreno Martos, D. and Foley, S. and Parcell, B. and Trucu, D. and Eftimie, R.},
month = {apr},
year = {2022},
abstract = {The COVID-19 pandemics has placed a particular burden on hospitals: from intra-hospital transmission of the infections, to reduced admissions of non-COVID-19 patients. There are also high costs associated with the treatment of hospitalised COVID-19 patients, as well as reductions in revenues due to delayed and cancelled treatments. In this study we investigate computationally the trans-mission of COVID-19 inside a hospital ward that contains multiple-bed bays (with 4 or 6 beds) and multiple single-bed side rooms (that can accommodate the contacts of COVID-19-positive patients).The aim is to investigate the role of 4-bed bays vs. 6-bed bays on the spread of infections and the hospital costs. We show that 4-bed bays are associated with lower infections only when we reduce the discharge time of some patients from 10 days to 5 days. This also leads to lower costs for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. In contrast, 6-bed bays are associated with reduced hospital waiting lists (especially when there are also multiple side rooms available to accommodate the contacts ofCOVID-19-positive patients identified inside 6-bed bays).},
pages = {6504-6522},
volume = {19},
issue = {7},
journal = {Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering},
publisher = {AIMS Press},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3934/mbe.2022306},
}
