scholarly journals The Stability of Model Human Coronaviruses on Textiles in the Environment and during Health Care Laundering

mSphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy Owen ◽  
Maitreyi Shivkumar ◽  
Katie Laird

Synthetic textiles such as polyester could potentially act as fomites of human coronaviruses, indicating the importance of infection control procedures during handling of contaminated textiles prior to laundering. This study provides novel evidence that human coronaviruses can persist on textiles for up to 3 days and are readily transferred from polyester textile to other surfaces after 72 h of incubation.

2020 ◽  
pp. 070674372096172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter M. Smith ◽  
John Oudyk ◽  
Guy Potter ◽  
Cameron Mustard

Objectives: To examine the relationship between perceived adequacy of personal protective equipment (PPE) and workplace-based infection control procedures (ICP) and mental health symptoms among a sample of health-care workers in Canada within the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A convenience-based internet survey of health-care workers in Canada was facilitated through various labor organizations between April 7 and May 13, 2020. A total of 7,298 respondents started the survey, of which 5,988 reported information on the main exposures and outcomes. Anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-2) screener, and depression symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) screener. We assessed the perceived need and adequacy of 8 types of PPE and 10 different ICP. Regression analyses examined the proportion of GAD-2 and PHQ-2 scores of 3 and higher across levels of PPE and ICP, adjusted for a range of demographic, occupation, workplace, and COVID-19-specific measures. Results: A total of 54.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 53.5% to 56.1%) of the sample had GAD-2 scores of 3 and higher, and 42.3% (95% CI, 41.0% to 43.6%) of the sample had PHQ-2 scores of 3 and higher. Absolute differences of 18% (95% CI, 12% to 23%) and 17% (95% CI, 12% to 22%) were observed in the prevalence of GAD-2 scores of 3 and higher between workers whose perceived PPE needs and ICP needs were met compared to those who needs were not met. Differences of between 11% (95% CI, 6% to 17%) and 19% (95% CI, 14% to 24%) were observed in PHQ-2 scores of 3 and higher across these same PPE and ICP categories. Conclusions: Our results suggest strengthening employer-based infection control strategies likely has important implications for the mental health symptoms among health-care workers in Canada.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasha H. Bassyouni ◽  
Ahmed-Ashraf Wegdan ◽  
Naglaa A El-Sherbiny

To evaluate the role of educational intervention on health care workers' (HCWs) compliance to standard precautions and cleaning of frequently touched surfaces at critical care units, forty-nine HCWs at 2 intensive care units (ICUs) and one neonatology unit at Fayoum University hospital were evaluated for knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) towards standard precautions as well as obstacles affecting their compliance to standard precautions before and after a 32-hour purposed-designed infection control education program. A structured self-administrated questionnaire as well as observational checklists were used. Assessment of Environmental cleaning was investigated by observational checklist, ATP bioluminescence and aerobic bacteriological culture for 118 frequently touched surfaces. Pre-intervention assessment revealed that 78.6% of HCWs were with good knowledge, 82.8% with good attitude and 80.8% had good practice. Obstacles identified by HCWs were as follow: making patient-care very technical (65.3%), deficiency of hand washing facilities (59.2%), skin irritation resulting from hand hygiene products (51%), and unavailability of PPE (38.8%). High significant improvements of knowledge, attitude and practice were detected after one month of educational intervention (P= 0.000). During the pre-interventional period only 30.5% of surfaces were considered clean versus 97.45% post intervention (P< 0.05). The highest Median ATP bioluminescence values were obtained from telephone handset, light switches and Blood pressure cuffs. S. aureus was the most common isolated organism followed by Enterococcus spp and E.coli (52, 38 and 19 surfaces respectively). In conclusion, contentious training of HCWs on standard precautions should be considered a mandatory element in infection control programs


2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-47
Author(s):  
M Lopchan ◽  
G Gurung ◽  
L Rajbanshi ◽  
C Osti ◽  
A Baniya

Nosocomial infections (NIs) are one of the most important health issues, particularly in developing countries, because these infections cause high mortality and morbidity, and economic and human resource loss as a consequence Nosocomial infections can be defined as those occurring within 48 hours of hospital admission, 3 days of discharge or 30 days of an operation. Many studies have examined risk factors of nosocomial infections. However, knowledge of frontline workers (attendants) in infection prevention have been reported rarely in developing countries. The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge of attendants working in different wards and OPDs about infection prevention. S: Data were collected from 100 attendants in Chitwan Medical College Teaching Hospital. Regarding the knowledge on hand washing, gloving and personal accessories for Infection Prevention, majority of the respondents had good knowledge ranging from 94-100%. Though hospital has established Infection Prevention Committee and regular training on infection prevention is provided to all the staffs, the data indicated that only 68% respondents were benefitted by the infection prevention training and proper use of virex solution to disinfect the equipment’s was found unsatisfactory. Infection control is the responsibility of all Health Care Facility (HCF) personnel. The goal of the infection control policies are to identify and reduce risks of acquiring and transmitting infections among patients, staff, students, volunteers, contract service workers, and visitors Although significant effort has been made to reduce the Nosocomial infections, regular training as well as monitoring supervision will enhance the capacity of the health care providers and front line workers for cleaning services they are our valued respondents.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jcmc.v6i1.55069


2016 ◽  
Vol 42 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 393-428
Author(s):  
Ann Marie Marciarille

The narrative of Ebola's arrival in the United States has been overwhelmed by our fear of a West African-style epidemic. The real story of Ebola's arrival is about our healthcare system's failure to identify, treat, and contain healthcare associated infections. Having long been willfully ignorant of the path of fatal infectious diseases through our healthcare facilities, this paper considers why our reimbursement and quality reporting systems made it easy for this to be so. West Africa's challenges in controlling Ebola resonate with our own struggles to standardize, centralize, and enforce infection control procedures in American healthcare facilities.


2001 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 47-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Auricht ◽  
J. Borgert ◽  
M. Butler ◽  
H. Cadwallader ◽  
P. Collignon ◽  
...  

Vestnik ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 19-22
Author(s):  
Г.Ж. Бодыков ◽  
А.М. Курманова ◽  
С.М. Оспангалиева ◽  
Ж.Р. Жаналиева ◽  
Б.К. Аманжолова ◽  
...  

Динамика и уровень перинатальной смертности за последние десятилетие свидетельствовали о том, что в г. Алматы имеет устойчивую тенденцию к снижению до 8,8‰ к 2019 году. В структуре перинатальной смертности большая часть приходится на антенатальную (5,5-6,5‰); около трети - на раннюю неонатальную смертность (3,2 до 2,3‰). В структуре причин неонатальных потерь наблюдалось устойчивое снижение дыхательных и сердечно-сосудистых нарушений в 2,3-3,8 раза - с 5 до 1,3‰, врожденных аномалий с 4,4 до 0,9‰, неонатальные потери от инфекционных болезней остаются стабильными. Сохраняющие риски инфекционной патологии, особенно в беспрецедентной ситуации в период пандемии диктуют необходимость пересмотра подходов к оказанию перинатальной помощи населению и разработкой новой концепции перинатальной помощи с существенными изменениями в подходах инфекционного контроля, развития превентивной перинатологии с более эффективной антенатальной охраной здоровья плода. The dynamics and level of perinatal mortality over the past decade testified to the fact that in Almaty it has a steady downward trend to 8.8 ‰ by 2019. In the structure of perinatal mortality, most of it falls on antenatal (5.5-6.5 ‰); about a third - for early neonatal mortality (3.2 to 2.3 ‰). In the structure of the causes of neonatal losses, there was a steady decrease in respiratory and cardiovascular disorders by 2.3-3.8 times - from 5 to 1.3 ‰, congenital anomalies from 4.4 to 0.9 ‰, neonatal losses from infectious diseases remain stable. The persisting risks of infectious pathology, especially in an unprecedented situation during a pandemic, dictate the need to revise approaches to providing perinatal care to the population and develop a new concept of perinatal care with significant changes in approaches to infection control, thedevelopment of preventive perinatology with more effective antenatal fetal health care.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-66
Author(s):  
Jennifer Haworth ◽  
Jonathan Sandy ◽  
Anthony J Ireland

We are living through a period of immense change following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China in December 2019. Even before the pandemic, the cost of managing healthcare-associated infections in the UK was considerable. The risk of acquiring any infection from the dental environment must be reduced to a minimum. As we have observed in recent years, new infectious agents emerge frequently, and the dental profession must be ready to respond appropriately and quickly. Orthodontic practice presents unique challenges in relation to infection control procedures. The impact of healthcare waste on the environment must also be considered. CPD/Clinical Relevance: This paper describes the range of infectious agents posing a risk to dental team members and patients. The aim is to place the recent coronavirus pandemic in the context of other recent emerging infections. Some of the latest research regarding infection control procedures is reviewed. Current best practice is described.


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