scholarly journals Effect of Professional and Extra-Professional Exposure on Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection among Healthcare Workers of the French Alps: A Multicentric Cross-Sectional Study

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 824
Author(s):  
Virginie Vitrat ◽  
Alexis Maillard ◽  
Alain Raybaud ◽  
Chloé Wackenheim ◽  
Bruno Chanzy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infection Rate ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Random Effect ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Management Support ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Young Professionals ◽  
Professional Exposure

We aimed to report SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence after the first wave of the pandemic among healthcare workers, and to explore factors associated with an increased infection rate. We conducted a multicentric cross-sectional survey from 27 June to 31 September 2020. For this survey, we enrolled 3454 voluntary healthcare workers across four participating hospitals, of which 83.4% were female, with a median age of 40.6 years old (31.8–50.3). We serologically screened the employees for SARS-CoV-2, estimated the prevalence of infection, and conducted binomial logistic regression with random effect on participating hospitals to investigate associations. We estimated the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection at 5.0% (95 CI, 4.3%–5.8%). We found the lowest prevalence in health professional management support (4.3%) staff. Infections were more frequent in young professionals below 30 years old (aOR = 1.59, (95 CI, 1.06–2.37)), including paramedical students and residents (aOR = 3.38, (95 CI, 1.62–7.05)). In this group, SARS-CoV-2 prevalence was up 16.9%. The location of work and patient-facing role were not associated with increased infections. Employees reporting contacts with COVID-19 patients without adequate protective equipment had a higher rate of infection (aOR = 1.66, (95 CI, 1.12–2.44)). Aerosol-generating tasks were associated with a ~1.7-fold rate of infection, regardless of the uptake of FFP2. Those exposed to clusters of infected colleagues (aOR = 1.77, (95 CI, 1.24–2.53)) or intra-familial COVID-19 relatives (aOR = 2.09, (95 CI, 1.15–3.80)) also had a higher likelihood of infection. This report highlights that a sustained availability of personal protective equipment limits the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate to what is measured in the general population. It also pinpoints the need for dedicated hygiene training among young professionals, justifies the systematic eviction of infected personnel, and stresses the need for interventions to increase vaccination coverage among any healthcare workers.

scholarly journals Compliance with Standard Precautions and Associated Factors among Healthcare Workers in Gondar University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tariku Gebre Haile ◽  
Eshetu Haileselassie Engeda ◽  
Abdella Amano Abdo
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Associated Factors ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Simple Random Sampling ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Northwest Ethiopia ◽  
Management Support ◽  
Standard Precautions ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Specialized Hospital

Background. In many studies, compliance with standard precautions among healthcare workers was reported to be inadequate.Objective.The aim of this study was to assess compliance with standard precautions and associated factors among healthcare workers in northwest Ethiopia.Methods.An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 01 to April 30, 2014. Simple random sampling technique was used to select participants. Data were entered into Epi info 3.5.1 and were exported to SPSS version 20.0 for statistical analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were computed and adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was calculated to identify associated factors.Results.The proportion of healthcare workers who always comply with standard precautions was found to be 12%. Being a female healthcare worker (AOR [95% CI] 2.18 [1.12–4.23]), higher infection risk perception (AOR [95% CI] 3.46 [1.67–7.18]), training on standard precautions (AOR [95% CI] 2.90 [1.20–7.02]), accessibility of personal protective equipment (AOR [95% CI] 2.87 [1.41–5.86]), and management support (AOR [95% CI] 2.23 [1.11–4.53]) were found to be statistically significant.Conclusion and Recommendation.Compliance with standard precautions among the healthcare workers is very low. Interventions which include training of healthcare workers on standard precautions and consistent management support are recommended.

scholarly journals COVID-19 infections among Healthcare Workers and Transmission within Households

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin L. Schwartz ◽  
Camille Achonu ◽  
Sarah A. Buchan ◽  
Kevin A. Brown ◽  
Brenda Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Nosocomial Transmission ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Testing Bias

AbstractImportanceProtecting healthcare workers (HCWs) from COVID-19 is a priority to maintain a safe and functioning healthcare system. The risk of transmitting COVID-19 to family members is a source of stress for many.ObjectiveTo describe and compare HCW and non-HCW COVID-19 cases in Ontario, Canada, as well as the frequency of COVID-19 among HCWs’ household members.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsUsing reportable disease data at Public Health Ontario which captures all COVID-19 cases in Ontario, Canada, we conducted a population-based cross-sectional study comparing demographic, exposure, and clinical variables between HCWs and non-HCWs with COVID-19 as of 14 May 2020. We calculated rates of infections over time and determined the frequency of within household transmissions using natural language processing based on residential address.Exposures and OutcomesWe contrasted age, gender, comorbidities, clinical presentation (including asymptomatic and presymptomatic), exposure histories including nosocomial transmission, and clinical outcomes between HCWs and non-HCWs with confirmed COVID-19.ResultsThere were 4,230 (17.5%) HCW COVID-19 cases in Ontario, of whom 20.2% were nurses, 2.3% were physicians, and the remaining 77.4% other specialties. HCWs were more likely to be between 30-60 years of age and female. HCWs were more likely to present asymptomatically (8.1% versus 7.0%, p=0.010) or with atypical symptoms (17.8% versus 10.5%, p<0.001). The mortality among HCWs was 0.2% compared to 10.5% of non-HCWs. HCWs commonly had exposures to a confirmed case or outbreak (74.1%), however only 3.1% were confirmed to be nosocomial. The rate of new infections was 5.5 times higher in HCWs than non-HCWs, but mirrored the epidemic curve. We identified 391 (9.8%) probable secondary household transmissions and 143 (3.6%) acquisitions. Children < 19 years comprised 14.6% of secondary cases compared to only 4.2% of the primary cases.Conclusions and RelevanceHCWs represent a disproportionate number of COVID-19 cases in Ontario but with low confirmed numbers of nosocomial transmission. The data support substantial testing bias and under-ascertainment of general population cases. Protecting HCWs through appropriate personal protective equipment and physical distancing from colleagues is paramount.Key PointsQuestionWhat are the differences between healthcare workers and non-healthcare workers with COVID-19?FindingsIn this population-based cross-sectional study there were 4,230 healthcare workers comprising 17.5% of COVID-19 cases. Healthcare workers were diagnosed with COVID-19 at a rate 5.5 times higher than the general population with 0.8% of all healthcare workers, compared to 0.1% of non-healthcare workers.MeaningHigh healthcare worker COVID-19 burden highlights the importance of physical distancing from colleagues, appropriate personal protective equipment, as well as likely substantial testing bias and under-ascertainment of COVID-19 in the general population.

scholarly journals Healthcare Workers Preparedness for COVID-19 Pandemic in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: A Cross-sectional Survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Osaid Alser ◽  
Heba Alghoul ◽  
Zahra Alkhateeb ◽  
Ayah Hamdan ◽  
Loai Albarqouni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Gaza Strip ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Occupied Palestinian Territory ◽  
Governmental Institutions ◽  
Palestinian Territory

Abstract Background: The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic threatens to overwhelm the capacity of a vulnerable healthcare system in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). Sufficient training of healthcare workers (HCWs) in managing COVID-19 and the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) are essential in allowing oPt to mount a credible response to the crisis.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a validated online questionnaire between March 30, 2020 and April 12, 2020. Primary outcomes were availability of PPE and HCWs preparedness in oPt for COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary outcome was regional and hospital differences in oPt in terms of availability of PPE and HCWs preparedness.Results: Of 138 respondents, only 38 HCWs (27.5%) always had access to facemasks and 15 (10.9%) for isolation gowns. Most HCWs did not find eye protection (n=128, 92.8%), N95 respirators (n=132, 95.7%), and face shields (n=127, 92%) always available. Compared to HCWs in West Bank, those in the Gaza Strip were significantly less likely to have access to alcohol sanitizers (p=0.03) and gloves (p <0.001). On average, governmental hospitals were significantly less likely to have all appropriate PPE than non-governmental institutions (p = 0.001). Only 16 (11.6%) surveyed felt confident in dealing with a potential COVID-19 case, 57 (41.3%) having received any COVID-19-related training, and 57 (41.3%) not having a local hospital protocol. Conclusion: HCWs in oPt are underprepared and severely lacking adequate PPE provision. The lack of PPE provision will exacerbate spread of COVID-19 and deepen the crisis, whilst putting HCWs at risk.

scholarly journals Intention of Healthcare Workers to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine: A Cross-Sectional Survey in 10 Countries in Eastern Mediterranean Region

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasir Ahmed Mohammed Elhadi ◽  
Azza Mehanna ◽  
Yusuff Adebayo Adebisi ◽  
Mohammad Yasir Essar ◽  
Haider M El Saeh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Region ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
To Receive

Background: Healthcare workers intention to be vaccinated is an important factor to be consider for successful COVID-19 vaccination programme. Our study aimed to understand the intention of health workers to receive COVID-19 vaccine and associated concerns across 10 countries in Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO). Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in January 2021 among healthcare workers using an online survey. A total of 2806 health workers (physicians, nurses and pharmacists) completed and returned the informed consent along with the questionnaire electronically. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS software package version 20.0. Results: More than half of the respondents (58.0%) intend to receive COVID-19 vaccine, even if the vaccination is not mandatory for them. On the other hand, 25.7% of respondents were not intending to undertake COVID-19 vaccination while 16.3 % answered undecided. The top three reasons for not intending to be vaccinated were unreliability of COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials (62.0%), fear of the side effects of the vaccine (45.3%), and that COVID-19 vaccine will not give immunity for a long period of time (23.1%). Conclusion: Overall, our study revealed suboptimal acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine among healthcare workers in the 10 countries in EMRO.

scholarly journals Impact of enhanced personal protective equipment on the physical and mental well-being of healthcare workers during COVID-19

2020 ◽  
pp. postgradmedj-2020-139150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramanathan Swaminathan ◽  
Bimantha Perera Mukundadura ◽  
Shashi Prasad
Keyword(s):  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mental Well Being

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the use of enhanced personal protective equipment (PPE) in healthcare workers in patient-facing roles. We describe the impact on the physical and mental well-being of healthcare professionals who use enhanced PPE consistently.MethodsWe conducted a single-centre, cross-sectional study among healthcare professionals who use enhanced PPE. A web-based questionnaire was disseminated to evaluate the effects on individuals’ physical and mental well-being. Physical and mental impact was assessed through a visual analogue scale.ResultsProspective analysis of the views of 72 respondents is reported. 63.9% were women and 36.1% were men. Physical impact included exhaustion, headache, skin changes, breathlessness and a negative impact on vision. Communication difficulties, somnolence, negative impact on overall performance and difficulties in using surgical instrumentation were reported.ConclusionOur study demonstrates the undeniable negative impact on the front-line healthcare workers using enhanced PPE and lays the ground for larger multicentric assessments given for it to potentially be the norm for the foreseeable future.

scholarly journals Seroprevalence of the SARS-CoV-2 antibody in healthcare workers: a multicentre cross-sectional study in 10 Colombian cities

2021 ◽  
pp. oemed-2021-107487
Author(s):  
Jeadran Nevardo Malagón-Rojas ◽  
Marcela Mercado-Reyes ◽  
Yezith G Toloza-Pérez ◽  
Eliana L Parra Barrera ◽  
Marien Palma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Strong Association ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Risk Of Infection ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Automated Immunoassay

BackgroundHealthcare workers are at increased risk of infection due to occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2-infected patients. The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare workers in Colombia.MethodsThis study is a cross-sectional study focused on estimating the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in healthcare workers from 65 hospitals in 10 cities in Colombia during the second semester of 2020. The seroprevalence was determined using an automated immunoassay (Abbott SARS-CoV-2 CLIA IgG). The study included a survey to establish the sociodemographic variables and the risk of infection. A multivariate model was used to evaluate the association between the results of seroprevalence and risk factors.ResultsThe global seroprevalence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 was 35% (95% Bayesian CI 33% to 37%). All the personnel reported the use of protective equipment. General services personnel and nurses presented the highest ratios of seroprevalence among the healthcare workers. Low socioeconomic strata have shown a strong association with seropositivity.ConclusionThis study estimates the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers. Even though all the personnel reported the use of protective equipment, the seroprevalence in the general services personnel and nurses was high. Also, a significant difference by cities was observed.

scholarly journals Hand Hygiene Knowledge and Perception among the Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Qassim, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1627
Author(s):  
Adil Abalkhail ◽  
Ilias Mahmud ◽  
Fahad A. Alhumaydhi ◽  
Thamer Alslamah ◽  
Ameen S. S. Alwashmi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
World Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Government ◽  
Health Organization

Hand hygiene is among the most important factors of infection control in healthcare settings. Healthcare workers are the primary source of hospital-acquired infection. We assessed the current state of hand hygiene knowledge, perception, and practice among the healthcare workers in Qassim, Saudi Arabia. In this cross-sectional study, we used the hand hygiene knowledge and perception questionnaire developed by the World Health Organization. Knowledge and perceptions were classified into good (80–100%), moderate (60–79%), and poor (<60% score). The majority of the healthcare workers had moderate knowledge (57.8%) and perception (73.4%) of hand hygiene. Males were less likely to have moderate/good knowledge compared to females (OR: 0.52, p < 0.05). Private healthcare workers were less likely (OR: 0.33, p < 0.01) to have moderate/good perceptions compared to the government healthcare workers. Healthcare workers who received training on hand hygiene were more likely to have good/moderate perception (OR: 3.2, p < 0.05) and to routinely use alcohol-based hand rubs (OR: 3.8, p < 0.05) than the ones without such training. Physicians are more likely (OR: 4.9, p < 0.05) to routinely use alcohol-based hand rubs than technicians. Our research highlighted gaps in hand hygiene knowledge, perception and practice among healthcare workers in Qassim, Saudi Arabia and the importance of training in this regard.

scholarly journals Analysis of the Infection Status of Healthcare Workers in Wuhan During the COVID-19 Outbreak: A Cross-sectional Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (16) ◽  
pp. 2109-2113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lichun Zheng ◽  
Xiang Wang ◽  
Chongchong Zhou ◽  
Qin Liu ◽  
Shuang Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infection Rate ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
General Information ◽  
Infection Status ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Protective Measures ◽  
The Public ◽  
Substantial Risk

Abstract Background Healthcare workers (HCWs) at the frontline are facing a substantial risk of infection during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Methods We acquired information and data on general information on and infection and death status of HCWs in Wuhan during the COVID-19 outbreak and completed statistical analyses. Results We obtained the data on 2457 infected cases among HCWs in Wuhan, China. More than half of the infected individuals were nurses (52.06%), whereas 33.62% of infected cases were doctors and 14.33% of cases were medical staff. In particular, the case infection rate of nurses (2.22%) was remarkably higher than that of doctors (1.92%). Most infected cases among HCWs were female (72.28%). A majority of the infected HCWs (89.26%) came from general hospitals, followed by specialized hospitals (5.70%) and community hospitals (5.05%). The case infection rate of HCWs (2.10%) was dramatically higher than that of non-HCWs (0.43%). The case fatality rate of HCWs (0.69%) was significantly lower than that of non-HCWs (5.30%). Conclusions The infection risk of HCWs is clearly higher than that of non-HCWs. HCWs play an essential role in fighting the pandemic. The analysis of the infection status of HCWs is essential to attract enough attention from the public, provide effective suggestions for government agencies, and improve protective measures for HCWs.

scholarly journals The Association between Using Personal Protective Equipment and Headache among Healthcare Workers in Saudi Arabia Hospitals during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 568-583
Author(s):  
Nahar M. Alreshidi ◽  
Salmah Alghamdi ◽  
Faygah Shibily ◽  
Alaa Mahsoon ◽  
Nofaa Alasmee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Chronic Headache ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Policies And Procedures ◽  
Group B

It is mandatory that healthcare workers wear personal protective equipment (PPE) while caring for COVID-19 patients. Studies have shown that wearing PPE for a prolonged time may lead to symptoms of physical discomfort including headache. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence and association between prolonged use of PPE and headaches. This was a cross-sectional study. A convenience sample of healthcare workers who worked with COVID-19 patients in clinical settings was recruited. The data were collected through an electronic survey shared as a link through social media. This study included 1060 participants, 753 (71%) female and 307 (29%) male. Participants were divided into two groups. Group A had 628 (60%) participants who did not have chronic headache before the COVID-19 pandemic, while Group B contained 432 (40%) participants who had a previous chronic headache. Headaches differed significantly between Groups A and B in frequency, type, location, and quality during the COVID-19 period. The analysis found a significant relationship between duration of PPE use and headache occurrence. The significant relationship between the duration of PPE usage and headache occurrence among healthcare workers should be considered when refining policies and procedures regarding prolonged PPE use.

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