An emergency physician at AHN Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie is leading a study to examine the best ways to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection among front line health care workers in hospital emergency departments. 

Dr. Jestin Carlson is Allegheny Health Network's (AHN) principal investigator for the study being conducted at Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) in Pittsburgh. AGH is one of 20 academic health centers nationwide participating in the study. 

The COVID-19 Evaluation of Risk in Emergency Departments (COVERED) Project is being supported by a $3.7 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is a 12-week study involving 1,600 emergency department personnel from around the country including physicians, nurses, and staff such as clerks, social workers or case managers. 

The goal of the study is to determine what practices and personal protective equipment (PPE) most effectively prevent exposure to COVID-19 in an emergency setting, where incoming patients may or may not have the virus, and emergency procedures can increase the risk of spreading the virus through the air.

“We are thrilled to be participating in this study aimed at finding the most effective ways to prevent transmission of COVID-19 in the emergency environment,” Dr. Carlson said. “We believe its benefits will extend beyond this current COVID-19 pandemic, but also serve to protect health care workers and the public in any future pandemics or epidemics.”

You can find out more about the COVERED study here.