Abstract
The Impact of a National Surgical Mask Wearing Policy on COVID-19 Transmission in Haemodialysis Units in the Republic of Ireland
Highlights
In Ireland the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSPC) confirmed the first case of COVID-19 in the Republic of Ireland on 29 February 2020
On 30 August 2020, the absolute death rate from COVID-19 in patients with End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) was 0.7%. (21 of 4747). This can be further subdivided into treatment categories as follows: 1.4% of all haemodialysis patients died due to COVID-19 (27 of 1925), 0.15% of transplant patients (4 of 2566) and none of the home therapy cohort died
It would appear that the introduction of universal mask policy altered this projected course since cases fell in the intervention period defined by national universal masking in dialysis units rather than being static
Summary
In Ireland the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSPC) confirmed the first case of COVID-19 in the Republic of Ireland on 29 February 2020. In addition the NRO was cognizant of suggestions arising from the pandemic in Italy that dialysis units may have been associated with transmission from healthcare settings back into the community. Despite the lack of evidence at the time, since it was considered a low cost intervention associated with empiric logic, the NRO instituted a mandatory surgical mask wearing policy for dialysis patients and dialysis healthcare workers for the duration of dialysis sessions on 7 April 2020.
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