Assessing healthcare workers’ knowledge, emotions and perceived institutional preparedness about COVID-19 pandemic at Saudi hospitals in the early phase of the pandemic

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic extended to reach most countries in the globe during few months. Preparedness of healthcare institutions and healthcare workers (HCWs) are crucial for applying effective prevention and control measures. This study aimed to assess HCWs knowledge, emotions and perception of preparedness of their institutions towards COVID-19 pandemic.Design: A cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted among hospital HCWs in Saudi Arabia during April 27, 2020 to May 03, 2020.Results: Overall, 1004 completed responses were received. The majority were females (78.8), nurses (84.9%) at middle age 25-39 years (71.8%). Among participants, 95.5% reported receiving training on safely use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and 94.9% did fit the test for N95 respirator. The participants possessed a fair knowledge about COVID-19 disease with a mean knowledge score 6. 61±1.35 points on a scale of 10 points. Most participants (88.7%) were committed to continue work as a professional and ethical duty, however, 27.1% of them scored high on a negative emotional impact scale. Participants appreciated most aspects of institutional preparedness for COVID-19 pandemic; however, they were concerned with the continuous PPE supply. Factors that independently associated with good knowledge and negative emotional response were determined using multivariate logistic regression analysis.Conclusions: Findings revealed fair knowledge about COVID-19 pandemic among HCWs in Saudi hospitals. Concerns and worries were expressed regard working with the highly infectious COVID-19 patients. Participants, appreciated most aspects of institutional preparedness, however they were concerned about the continuous availability and supply of PPE.

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Healthcare workers’ knowledge, attitude and practices during the COVID-19 pandemic response in a tertiary care hospital of Nepal

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0242126 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (11) ◽

pp. e0242126 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Dil K. Limbu ◽

Rano M. Piryani ◽

Avinash K. Sunny

Keyword(s):

Prevention And Control ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Positive Attitude ◽

Knowledge Score ◽

Demographic Characteristics ◽

Control Measures ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

The Mean ◽

Prevention And Control Measures ◽

And Control

Background COVID-19 is an ongoing pandemic, for which appropriate infection prevention and control measures need to be adopted. Healthcare workers’ adherence to prevention and control measures is affected by their knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards COVID-19. In this study, we assessed the KAP among healthcare workers towards the COVID-19 during the ongoing pandemic. Method A self-developed piloted KAP questionnaire was administered to the recruited healthcare workers involved in the COVID-19 response at the Universal College of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UCMSTH), in Bhairahawa, Nepal. The knowledge questionnaire consisted of questions regarding the clinical characteristics, prevention, and management of COVID-19. Assessment on attitudes and practices towards COVID-19 included questions on behaviour and change in practices made towards COVID-19 response. Knowledge scores were calculated and compared by demographic characteristics and their attitude and practices towards COVID-19. Data were analysed using bivariate statistics. Results A total of 103 healthcare workers participated in the study. The mean age of the participants was 28.24±6.11 years (range: 20–56); 60.2% were females; 61.2% were unmarried; 60.2% had a medical degree, and 39.8% were the nursing staff. The mean knowledge score was 10.59±1.12 (range: 7–13), and it did not vary significantly when adjusted for demographic characteristics. The attitude was positive for 53.4% of the participants with a mean knowledge score of 10.35±1.19 and negative for 46.6% participants with a mean knowledge score of 10.88±0.98 (p = 0.02). The practice was good (≥3 score) for 81.5% participants with a mean knowledge score of 10.73±1.12 and poor for 18.5% participants with a mean knowledge score of 10.46±1.13 (p = 0.24). The attitude of the participants improved with increasing age (29.55±7.17, p = 0.02). Conclusion There is comparably better knowledge regarding COVID-19 among healthcare workers. Appropriate practice correlates with better knowledge and positive attitude towards COVID-19 infection is seen with increasing age. Hence, training on protection and protective measures for having a positive attitude among healthcare workers is necessary against the fight with COVID-19 infection.

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Improving knowledge, attitudes and practice to prevent COVID-19 transmission in healthcare workers and the public in Thailand

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10768-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Rapeephan R. Maude ◽

Monnaphat Jongdeepaisal ◽

Sumawadee Skuntaniyom ◽

Thanomvong Muntajit ◽

Stuart D. Blacksell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

General Public ◽

Prevention And Control ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Infection Prevention ◽

Control Measures ◽

Infection Prevention And Control ◽

The Public ◽

Educational Videos ◽

Prevention And Control Measures ◽

And Control

Abstract Background Key infection prevention and control measures to limit transmission of COVID-19 include social distancing, hand hygiene, use of facemasks and personal protective equipment. However, these have limited or no impact if not applied correctly through lack of knowledge, inappropriate attitude or incorrect practice. In order to maximise the impact of infection prevention and control measures on COVID-19 spread, we undertook a study to assess and improve knowledge, attitudes and practice among 119 healthcare workers and 100 general public in Thailand. The study setting was two inpatient hospitals providing COVID-19 testing and treatment. Detailed information on knowledge, attitudes and practice among the general public and healthcare workers regarding COVID-19 transmission and its prevention were obtained from a combination of questionnaires and observations. Results Knowledge of the main transmission routes, commonest symptoms and recommended prevention methods was mostly very high (> 80%) in both groups. There was lower awareness of aerosols, food and drink and pets as sources of transmission; of the correct duration for handwashing; recommended distance for social/physical distancing; and about recommended types of face coverings. Information sources most used and most trusted were the workplace, work colleagues, health workers and television. The results were used to produce a set of targeted educational videos which addressed many of these gaps with subsequent improvements on retesting in a number of areas. This included improvements in handwashing practice with an increase in the number of areas correctly washed in 65.5% of the public, and 57.9% of healthcare workers. The videos were then further optimized with feedback from participants followed by another round of retesting. Conclusions Detailed information on gaps in knowledge, attitudes and practice among the general public and healthcare workers regarding COVID-19 transmission and its prevention were obtained from a combination of questionnaires and observations. This was used to produce targeted educational videos which addressed these gaps with subsequent improvements on retesting. The resulting videos were then disseminated as a resource to aid in efforts to fight COVID-19 in Thailand and worldwide.

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Rapid decline of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 among infected healthcare workers

Nature Communications ◽

10.1038/s41467-021-21111-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Stéphane Marot ◽

◽

Isabelle Malet ◽

Valentin Leducq ◽

Karen Zafilaza ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Neutralizing Antibodies ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Disease Onset ◽

Control Measures ◽

Infection Prevention And Control ◽

Rapid Decline ◽

Prevention And Control Measures ◽

Few Data ◽

Antibody Levels ◽

And Control

AbstractThere are only few data concerning persistence of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) among SARS-CoV-2-infected healthcare workers (HCW). These individuals are particularly exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection and at potential risk of reinfection. We followed 26 HCW with mild COVID-19 three weeks (D21), two months (M2) and three months (M3) after the onset of symptoms. All the HCW had anti-receptor binding domain (RBD) IgA at D21, decreasing to 38.5% at M3 (p < 0.0001). Concomitantly a significant decrease in NAb titers was observed between D21 and M2 (p = 0.03) and between D21 and M3 (p < 0.0001). Here, we report that SARS-CoV-2 can elicit a NAb response correlated with anti-RBD antibody levels. However, this neutralizing activity declines, and may even be lost, in association with a decrease in systemic IgA antibody levels, from two months after disease onset. This short-lasting humoral protection supports strong recommendations to maintain infection prevention and control measures in HCW, and suggests that periodic boosts of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination may be required.

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Prevalence of active tuberculosis disease among healthcare workers and support staff in healthcare settings of the Amhara region, Ethiopia

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0253177 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (6) ◽

pp. e0253177

Author(s):

Melashu Balew Shiferaw ◽

Mulusew Alemneh Sinishaw ◽

Desalegne Amare ◽

Genetu Alem ◽

Dawit Asefa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prevention And Control ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Support Staff ◽

Control Measures ◽

Health Centers ◽

Amhara Region ◽

Healthcare Settings ◽

Prevention And Control Measures ◽

Study Participants ◽

And Control

Background Health care workers (HCWs) are at an increased risk of acquiring tuberculosis (TB) compared to the general population, because of the frequent face to face contact or potential exposure to TB through shared air or space with infectious patient(s), regardless of economic setting and local TB incidence. Information on the burden of active TB disease among HCWs will help guide control measures, can be utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of TB infection prevention programs in the health care setting, and guide necessary actions. However, data on TB among HCW in Ethiopia is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of active TB disease among healthcare workers and support staff in healthcare settings in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study design was used to recruit a total of 580 randomly selected study participants in the Amhara region. Data were collected over four months in selected hospitals and health centers. Implementation of TB prevention and control measures was evaluated using a standardized checklist. The main outcome indicator was active TB as measured by a laboratory diagnosis using GeneXpert technology. Results A total of 580 study participants were enrolled. The mean age was 31.3 (±7.8 standard deviation) years, with about two-thirds (65.3%) aged between 18–24 years. A total of 9 (1.6%) MTB cases were detected, 4 (1.4%) in HCWs and 5 (1.7%) in support staff, which did not significantly differ (P = 0.50). About 90% of the participants had not received TB infection prevention and control training ever. More than half (54%) of the study participants worked in poorly ventilated rooms. Triage of coughing patients was not practiced in 32% of the studied facilities (health centers and hospitals). Conclusions The magnitude of TB among healthcare workers and support staff in healthcare settings was higher than in the general population (140 per 100000 population). The status of implementation of tuberculosis prevention and control measures indicated missed opportunities. Hence, strict implementation of developed infection control plans of TB in healthcare settings needs to be improved.

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Awareness of COVID-19 Before and After Quarantine Based on Crowdsourced Data From Rabigh City, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional and Comparative Study

Frontiers in Public Health ◽

10.3389/fpubh.2021.632024 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Mai Aldhahri ◽

Rana Alghamdi

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Online Survey ◽

Control Measures ◽

Infection Prevention And Control ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Second Stage ◽

Before And After ◽

Prevention And Control Measures ◽

Two Stages ◽

And Control

Background: Infection prevention and control measures are critical for the prevention of the spread of COVID-19.Aim: In this study, we aimed to measure and evaluate the level of awareness and knowledge of the prevention, symptoms, and transmission control of COVID-19 before and after quarantine among the residents of Rabigh city and adjacent villages in Saudi Arabia.Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in two stages: the first stage took place before quarantine and the second stage took place after quarantine. The survey was filled out electronically.Results: A total of 448 participants responded and filled out the questionnaires. Females (73.70%) formed the largest number of participants for both stages. The majority of the participants were <30 years old (50.90%) and had a high education level in various sectors and levels (97.1%). It was noticeable that during the first stage, the participants' awareness of COVID-19 symptoms was not very high: 13.62% did not know about the symptoms. However, by the second stage, awareness about symptoms had increased (9.6%).Conclusion: The residents of Rabigh city and the surrounding villages had good levels of knowledge about COVID-19.

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Healthcare Workers' Challenges in the Implementation of Tuberculosis Infection Prevention and Control Measures in Mozambique

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0114364 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 9 (12) ◽

pp. e114364 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Miranda Brouwer ◽

Eliana Coelho ◽

Carla das Dores Mosse ◽

Luciana Brondi ◽

Laura Winterton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prevention And Control ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Infection Prevention ◽

Control Measures ◽

Tuberculosis Infection ◽

Infection Prevention And Control ◽

Prevention And Control Measures ◽

And Control

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Changes in Prevalence of Nosocomial Infection Pre- and Post-COVID-19 pandemic from a Tertiary Hospital in China

10.21203/rs.3.rs-228202/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Chunmei Su ◽

Zhiqin Zhang ◽

Xu Zhao ◽

Hanlin Peng ◽

Yi Hong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nosocomial Infection ◽

Nosocomial Infections ◽

Prevention And Control ◽

Control Measures ◽

Gastrointestinal Infections ◽

Effective Prevention ◽

Oral Infections ◽

Prevention And Control Measures ◽

And Control ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background: Nosocomial infections (NIs) are an important cause of mortality, and increasing evidence reveals that the prevalence of NIs can be reduced through effective prevention and control measures. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the prevention and control measures for the COVID-19 pandemic on NIs.Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the prevalence of NIs before and after COVID-19 pandemic for six months in the Children’s Hospital of Soochow University.Results: A total of 39,914 patients in 2019 and 34,645 patients in 2020 were admitted to the hospital during the study. There were 1.39% (481/34645) of patients with NIs in 2020, which was significantly lower than the 2.56% (1021/39914) of patients in 2019. The rate of critical and fatal cases was also decreased. Except for the ICU, the prevalence of nosocomial infection in most departments decreased from 2019 to 2020. Regarding the source of infections, a significant reduction was mainly observed in respiratory (0.99% vs 0.42%, p=0.000) and digestive tract (0.63% vs 0.14%, p=0.000). The microorganism analysis of respiratory infections indicated an obvious decline in acinetobacters and fungi. The most significant decline of pathogens in gastrointestinal infections was observed for rotavirus. The comparison of catheter-related nosocomial infections between 2019 and 2020 did not show significant differences. Conclusions: The prevention and control measures for the COVID-19 pandemic have reduced the nosocomial infection in almost all departments, except the ICU, mainly regarding respiratory, gastrointestinal, and oral infections, while catheter-related infections did not show any differences.

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Characterising within-hospital SARS-CoV-2 transmission events: a retrospective analysis integrating epidemiological and viral genomic data from a UK tertiary care setting across two pandemic waves

10.1101/2021.07.15.21260537 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Benjamin B Lindsey ◽

Ch. Julián Villabona-Arenas ◽

Finlay Campbell ◽

Alexander J Keeley ◽

Matthew D Parker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Epidemiological Data ◽

Rapid Identification ◽

Control Measures ◽

Hospital Acquired Infections ◽

Prevention And Control Measures ◽

Hospital Acquired ◽

And Control ◽

Second Wave

Objectives - To characterise within-hospital SARS-CoV-2 transmission across two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design - A retrospective Bayesian modelling study to reconstruct transmission chains amongst 2181 patients and healthcare workers using combined viral genomic and epidemiological data. Setting - A large UK NHS Trust with over 1400 beds and employing approximately 17,000 staff. Participants - 780 patients and 522 staff testing SARS-CoV-2 positive between 1st March 2020 and 25th July 2020 (Wave 1); and 580 patients and 299 staff testing SARS-CoV-2 positive between 30th November 2020 and 24th January 2021 (Wave 2). Main outcome measures - Transmission pairs including who-infected-whom; location of transmission events in hospital; number of secondary cases from each individual, including differences in onward transmission from community and hospital onset patient cases. Results - Staff-to-staff transmission was estimated to be the most frequent transmission type during Wave 1 (31.6% of observed hospital-acquired infections; 95% CI 26.9 to 35.8%), decreasing to 12.9% (95% CI 9.5 to 15.9%) in Wave 2. Patient-to-patient transmissions increased from 27.1% in Wave 1 (95% CI 23.3 to 31.4%) to 52.1% (95% CI 48.0 to 57.1%) in Wave 2, to become the predominant transmission type. Over 50% of hospital-acquired infections were concentrated in 8/120 locations in Wave 1 and 10/93 locations in Wave 2. Approximately 40% to 50% of hospital-onset patient cases resulted in onward transmission compared to less than 4% of definite community-acquired cases. Conclusions - Prevention and control measures that evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic may have had a significant impact on reducing infections between healthcare workers, but were insufficient during the second wave to prevent a high number of patient-to-patient transmissions. As hospital-acquired cases appeared to drive most onward transmissions, more frequent and rapid identification and isolation of these cases will be required to break hospital transmission chains in subsequent pandemic waves

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Hazards for Healthcare Workers

10.1093/oso/9780190662677.003.0037 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Jane A. Lipscomb

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Organizational Factors ◽

Control Measures ◽

Safety Hazards ◽

State Laws ◽

Chemical Hazards ◽

Physical Hazards ◽

Prevention And Control Measures ◽

And Control ◽

Recent Policy

This chapter describes occupational hazards for healthcare workers. The chapter focuses on biological hazards, chemical hazards, physical hazards, safety and ergonomic hazards, violence, psychosocial and organizational factors, and health consequences associated with changes in the organization and financing of healthcare. The nature and magnitude of various problems is described. The chapter includes specific prevention and control measures for addressing biological hazards, chemical hazards, ionizing radiation, safety hazards, ergonomic hazards, musculoskeletal disorders, violence, and psychosocial hazards. Finally, the chapter provides a summary of historical and recent policy initiatives, including federal and state laws, regulations and guidelines, developed and implemented to protect healthcare workers from recognized hazards.

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GUILLAIN-BARRÉ SYNDROME AFTER CHIKUNGUNYA VIRUS INFECTION

Revista Augustus ◽

10.15202/1981896.2018v23n45p173 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 23 (45) ◽

pp. 173-178

Author(s):

Marco Orsini ◽

Denise Flávio De Carvalho ◽

José Teixeira De Seixas Filho ◽

Rossano Fiorelli ◽

Eduardo Lima Trajano

Keyword(s):

Specific Treatment ◽

Control Measures ◽

Lower Limbs ◽

Guillain Barre Syndrome ◽

Effective Prevention ◽

Cranial Nerve Palsies ◽

Guillain Barré Syndrome ◽

Prevention And Control Measures ◽

Guillain Barré ◽

And Control

Background: In Brazilian territory, the most common arboviruses are DENV (Dengue), CHIKV (Chikungunya), and ZIKV (Zica), although others may spread in the country. These arboviruses has also resulted in a number of neurologic diseases such as Guillain-Barré syndrome, meningoencephalitis, myositis and cranial nerve palsies. This article reports the case of a woman, 33 years that suddenly developed shooting fever, muscle pain and ascedent weakness, receiving subsequently the diagnosis of guillain-barré syndrome for probable unspecified viral infection. After a few days of hospitalization, the diagnosis of Guillain-Barre by possible CHIKV fever were confirmed across clinical evaluation, cerebrospinal fluid, electrophysiological findings and the specific titles of IgM for CHIKV. Months after treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin remains with muscle weakness in lower limbs and difficulties in performing daily activities. The article becomes important because chikungunya infection causes a high number of affected individuals, with severe cases (as presented), and implications for health services, mainly due to the absence of specific treatment, vaccines, and effective prevention and control measures.

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