Abstract
Background:The adherence of medical laboratory technicians (MLT) to infection control guidelines is essential for reducing the risk of exposure to infectious agents. This study explored the adherence of MLT towards infection control practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.Method:The study population consisted of MLT (n = 444) who worked in private and government health sectors in Jordan. A self-reported survey was used to collect data from participants.Findings:More than 87% of the participants reported adherence to hand-washing guidelines and using personal protective equipment (PPE) when interacting with patients (74.5%), and handling clinical samples (70.0%). Besides, 88.1%, 48.2%, and 7.7% reported wearing of lab coats, face masks, and goggles, at all times, respectively. The majority reported increased adherence to infection control practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes increased PPE use at the workplace (94.2%), increased frequency of disinfection of laboratory surfaces (92.4%) and laboratory equipment (86.7%), and increased frequency of handwashing/use of antiseptics (94.6%). Having a graduate degree was significantly associated with increased adherence of participants to the daily use of goggles/eye protection (p = 0.002), and the use of PPE while handling clinical samples (p = 0.011). Having work experience of >10 years was associated with increased adherence to the use of PPE while handling clinical samples (p = 0.001).Conclusion:MLT reported very good adherence with most assessed infection control practices. In addition, they reported increased conformity with infection control guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Highlights
In a recent meta-analysis that included 11 studies, the total proportion of healthcare workers who were positive for the coronavirus among all COVID-19 patients was 10.1% [4]
This study investigated the level of self-reported adherence of medical laboratory technicians (MLT) to infection control practices during the COVID-19 pandemic, the factors that might influence adherence, and the perceptions of MLT on the impact of the pandemic on adherence
MLT reported that the COVID-19 pandemic led to increased rates of compliance with infection control practices compared to that before the pandemic
Summary
Since the early days of the pandemic, it was clear that healthcare workers were at higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection than the general population [3]. In a recent meta-analysis that included 11 studies, the total proportion of healthcare workers who were positive for the coronavirus among all COVID-19 patients was 10.1% [4]. The reported mortality rate among healthcare workers was in the range from 0.2% to 0.5% [4, 5]. These numbers placed a high burden on the healthcare workers to maintain a safe work environment for themselves and to prevent the transmission of the virus to others. This study explored the adherence of MLT towards infection control practices during the COVID-19 pandemic
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