COVID-19: Preventive Strategies among Workers in a Tertiary Health Institution in South-east Nigeria

Background and Aim: Healthcare workers have the highest risk of exposure to COVID-19 infection due to the nature of their occupation which daily exposes them to infectious agents/people with COVID-19. The study aimed to determine the knowledge of healthcare workers towards COVID-19 infection prevention strategies and factors that affect infection prevention against COVID-19. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional analytical study conducted in a tertiary health institution. One hundred and ninety-five participants were recruited consecutively into the study. Data was collected using a 13-question semi-structured self-administered questionnaire. The knowledge, perceptions and factors contributing to COVID-19 infection, prevention and control (IPC) were measured. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 23. The test of significance was set at p-value <0.05. Results: The knowledge of COVID-19 Infection, Prevention and Control (IPC) was 31.8%, 63.6% of the participants were aware of IPC program at the hospital but majority (74.9%) had not received any training. There was no significant association between knowledge of COVID-19 IPC and sociodemographic characteristics. Less than half of the participants (37.4%) had a good perception of the hospital’s readiness for COVID-19 pandemic, 52.8% reported that breeching IPC rules can cause an outbreak of COVID-19 in the hospital. Lack of resources to fulfil Infection, Prevention and Control need is the single most important contributory factor to the spread of COVID-19 infection. Conclusion: The knowledge of COVID-19 infection, prevention and control was poor in the study and the majority of the healthcare workers had not received any training regarding Infection, Prevention and Control. Therefore, there is need for the hospital management with the financial backup from the government to train healthcare workers on Infection prevention and control strategies.

Download Full-text

Knowledge and practice of infection prevention and control among healthcare workers: a COVID-19 pandemic experience

Anaesthesia, Pain & Intensive Care ◽

10.35975/apic.v24i6.1408 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 24 (6) ◽

pp. 596-602

Author(s):

Rifat Yasmin ◽

Huma Hussain ◽

Syeda Turab Fatima Abidi ◽

Syed Asim Ali Shah ◽

Tazaeen Hina Kazmi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prevention And Control ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Infection Prevention ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Close Contact ◽

Infection Prevention And Control ◽

P Value ◽

Corona Virus ◽

Knowledge And Practice ◽

And Control

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a global outbreak caused by novel SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2). Study aims to evaluate knowledge and practices of healthcare workers (HCW) regarding infection prevention and control of corona virus disease Material and methods: A cross sectional validation study was conducted. Study was conducted at department of Medicine, Pakistan Ordinance Factory Hospital, Wah Cantt. Study duration was 2 months (May 2020-June2020)A sample size of 217 HCW was calculated using WHO calculator. HCW were selected through non probability sampling (consecutive). Ethical permission was taken and research consent was signed by each participant. SPSS version 24 was used for analysis purpose. Post stratification fissure exact and chi-square test was applied. We found p value ≤0.05 as statistically significant. Results: Total 217 HCW were included in our study. Out of them, 85 (39.2%) were male and 132 (60.8%) were female in our study. Mean age of HCW was 34.5±2.4SD. In knowledge assessment majority of HCW had fair knowledge (46.5%), followed by good (30%) and poor knowledge (23.5%) regarding corona virus associated infection control and prevention. In practice assessment, among all those, 38.2% HCW showed better practices while 61.8% showed poor practices. Knowledge is significantly associated with virus transmission mode (p = 0.00), close contact (p = 0.000), protection from COVID-19 in triage area (p = 0.000), wearing PPE (p = 0.000) etc. Conclusion: Corona virus disease is a major challenge in resource limited countries. Healthcare workers showed relatively improved knowledge and practices regarding infection prevention and control in this COVID-19 Pandemic. Key words: Corona virus disease, Healthcare workers, Infection Prevention and Control, Knowledge, Practices Citation: Yasmin R, Hussain H, Abidi STF, Shah SAA, Kazmi TH, Hussain H. Knowledge and practice of infection prevention and control among healthcare workers: a COVID-19 pandemic experience. Anaesth pain intensive care 2020;24 (6):597-602 Received: 8 November 2020, Reviewed: 17 November 2020, Accepted: 19 November 2020

Download Full-text

Preparedness for COVID-19 by Primary Healthcare Workers in Rivers State, Nigeria: Facility Cross-sectional Survey

10.21203/rs.3.rs-51606/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Clement Kevin Edet ◽

Anthony Ike Wegbom ◽

Prof. Victor Alangibi Kiri

Keyword(s):

Primary Healthcare ◽

Prevention And Control ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Infection Prevention ◽

Infection Prevention And Control ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Preventive Practices ◽

Rivers State ◽

And Control

Abstract Introduction: The primary healthcare workers (PHCWs) face a higher risk of infection associated with their occupation, due to inadequate supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE), inappropriate use of PPEs, and insufficient knowledge on infection prevention and control. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the preparedness for COVID-19 by PHCWs in Rivers State, Nigeria. Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted involving the healthcare workers at the public primary healthcare facilities across the 23 local government areas (LGAs) of Rivers State, Nigeria. The descriptive statistics of mean ± standard deviation and percentage were used to present quantitative and categorical variables respectively. The preparedness for COVID-19 was measured by knowledge, attitude and preventive practices (KAP) towards the disease. The association between the KAP and demographic characteristics was tested with the Chi-square test, while the associations existing among the KAP constituents were evaluated with the Pearson correlation coefficient. Statistical significance was evaluated at P<0.05. Results: Out of 460 questionnaires distributed, 412 respondents participated in the survey, indicating a response rate of 89.6%. The proportion of respondents with good scores in knowledge, attitude, and COVID-19 related practices was 86.4% (10.66 ± 2.40), 85.0% (8.28 ± 1.94), and 97.3% (8.34 ± 1.39) respectively. Gender, occupation, and years of experience were associated with knowledge, while years of experience and marital status were associated with attitude and preventive practices. Knowledge score also had significant positive linear associations with both attitudes and practices ( scores toward COVID-19. Conclusion: Our findings revealed the level of PHCWs preparedness to fight COVID-19 in Rivers State. We suggest that public health education programs on infection prevention and control should be sustained. Furthermore, training should be tailored to meet the peculiarities of the different categories of healthcare workers and years of practice.

Download Full-text

Infection prevention and control compliance among exposed healthcare workers in COVID-19 treatment centers in Ghana: A descriptive cross-sectional study

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0248282 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. e0248282

Author(s):

Mary Eyram Ashinyo ◽

Stephen Dajaan Dubik ◽

Vida Duti ◽

Kingsley Ebenezer Amegah ◽

Anthony Ashinyo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hand Hygiene ◽

Prevention And Control ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Infection Prevention ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Secondary Level ◽

Infection Prevention And Control ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Behavior Change Interventions ◽

And Control

Compliance with infection prevention and control (IPC) protocols is critical in minimizing the risk of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection among healthcare workers. However, data on IPC compliance among healthcare workers in COVID-19 treatment centers are unknown in Ghana. This study aims to assess IPC compliance among healthcare workers in Ghana’s COVID-19 treatment centers. The study was a secondary analysis of data, which was initially collected to determine the level of risk of COVID-19 virus infection among healthcare workers in Ghana. Quantitative data were conveniently collected using the WHO COVID-19 risk assessment tool. We analyzed the data using descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses. We observed that IPC compliance during healthcare interactions was 88.4% for hand hygiene and 90.6% for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) usage; IPC compliance while performing aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs), was 97.5% for hand hygiene and 97.5% for PPE usage. For hand hygiene during healthcare interactions, lower compliance was seen among nonclinical staff [OR (odds ratio): 0.43; 95% CI (Confidence interval): 0.21–0.89], and healthcare workers with secondary level qualification (OR: 0.24; 95% CI: 0.08–0.71). Midwives (OR: 0.29; 95% CI: 0.09–0.93) and Pharmacists (OR: 0.15; 95% CI: 0.02–0.92) compliance with hand hygiene was significantly lower than registered nurses. For PPE usage during healthcare interactions, lower compliance was seen among healthcare workers who were separated/divorced/widowed (OR: 0.08; 95% CI: 0.01–0.43), those with secondary level qualifications (OR 0.08; 95% CI 0.01–0.43), non-clinical staff (OR 0.16 95% CI 0.07–0.35), cleaners (OR: 0.16; 95% CI: 0.05–0.52), pharmacists (OR: 0.07; 95% CI: 0.01–0.49) and among healthcare workers who reported of insufficiency of PPEs (OR: 0.33; 95% CI: 0.14–0.77). Generally, healthcare workers’ infection prevention and control compliance were high, but this compliance differs across the different groups of health professionals in the treatment centers. Ensuring an adequate supply of IPC logistics coupled with behavior change interventions and paying particular attention to nonclinical staff is critical in minimizing the risk of COVID-19 transmission in the treatment centers.

Download Full-text

Point-of-care training program on COVID-19 infection prevention and control for pediatric healthcare workers: a multicenter, cross-sectional questionnaire survey in Shanghai, China

Translational Pediatrics ◽

10.21037/tp-20-247 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 44-53

Author(s):

Yingzi Ye ◽

Peng Shi ◽

Yonghao Gui ◽

Albert M. Li ◽

Guoying Huang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Questionnaire Survey ◽

Prevention And Control ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Infection Prevention ◽

Point Of Care ◽

Infection Prevention And Control ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Care Training ◽

And Control ◽

Pediatric Healthcare

Download Full-text

The Perception of Healthcare Workers Toward Infection Prevention and Control Practices in Two Hospitals in Bo City

International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications (IJSRP) ◽

10.29322/ijsrp.9.11.2019.p9568 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. p9568

Author(s):

Prince T. Lamin-Boima

Keyword(s):

Prevention And Control ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Infection Prevention ◽

Infection Prevention And Control ◽

And Control

Download Full-text

Barriers to infection prevention and control practice among Amhara region teaching hospitals in Ethiopia: Qualitative study

International Journal of Infection Control ◽

10.3396/ijic.v15i2.007.19 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Walelegn Worku Yallew ◽

Abera Kumie ◽

Feleke Moges Yehuala

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Worker ◽

Prevention And Control ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Infection Prevention ◽

Teaching Hospitals ◽

Infection Prevention And Control ◽

Amhara Region ◽

Implementation Barriers ◽

Control Practice ◽

And Control

Healthcare workers have good perception towards infection prevention, but there has been a poor practice towards it. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore barriers to practice of infection prevention and control practice in teaching hospitals in Amhara region. A phenomenological approach used to explore the lived experience of healthcare workers and management staffs towards infection prevention practice and control. The data was collected from ten in-depth interviews and 23 focus group discussion participants, by face to face interview using open ended interview performed in safe and quiet places. Data was managed using OpenCode software version 4.03 and contents were analyzed thematically. Totally ten different barriers were identified, such as availability of facilities, shortage of material supply, lack of maintenance of facilities and equipment, high patient flow, experience, emergency situation, healthcare worker behaviour and healthcare worker’s information about infection prevention, low awareness of patients and visitors and overflow of families and visitors to the hospital. For effective infection prevention practice implementation, barriers should be considered via identifying specific organizational, healthcare worker, patients and visitors as targets.

Download Full-text

Infection control practices and challenges in Pakistan during the COVID-19 pandemic: a multicentre cross-sectional study

Journal of Infection Prevention ◽

10.1177/17571774211012761 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 175717742110127

Author(s):

Salma Abbas ◽

Faisal Sultan

Keyword(s):

Personal Protective Equipment ◽

Prevention And Control ◽

Infection Prevention ◽

Hospital Staff ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Infection Prevention And Control ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Healthcare Facilities ◽

And Control

Background: Patient and staff safety at healthcare facilities during outbreaks hinges on a prompt infection prevention and control response. Physicians leading these programmes have encountered numerous obstacles during the pandemic. Aim/objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate infection prevention and control practices and explore the challenges in Pakistan during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study and administered a survey to physicians leading infection prevention and control programmes at 18 hospitals in Pakistan. Results: All participants implemented universal masking, limited the intake of patients and designated separate triage areas, wards and intensive care units for coronavirus disease 2019 patients at their hospitals. Eleven (61%) physicians reported personal protective equipment shortages. Staff at three (17%) hospitals worked without the appropriate personal protective equipment due to limited supplies. All participants felt overworked and 17 (94%) reported stress. Physicians identified the lack of negative pressure rooms, fear and anxiety among hospital staff, rapidly evolving guidelines, personal protective equipment shortages and opposition from hospital staff regarding the choice of recommended personal protective equipment as major challenges during the pandemic. Discussion: The results of this study highlight the challenges faced by physicians leading infection prevention and control programmes in Pakistan. It is essential to support infection prevention and control personnel and bridge the identified gaps to ensure patient and staff safety at healthcare facilities.

Download Full-text

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.

Download Full-text