COVID-19 Guidelines Research Articles

Reported changes in romantic and sexual behavior among college and graduate students during COVID-19

Objective: To understand changes in romantic and sexual behavior among college and graduate students in North Carolina during COVID-19. Participants: Participants were between 18–30 years old and enrolled in a two- or four-year college or graduate program in North Carolina (n = 926). Methods: A cross-sectional web-based survey was administered to college and graduate students to assess romantic and sexual behavioral changes during COVID-19. Results: Participants continued to engage in in-person sexual intercourse during COVID-19 and reported an increase in online and virtual dating. Although the majority of participants reported following COVID-19 guidelines, they did not frequently use risk mitigation strategies such as declining kissing or sex due to COVID-19 concerns, inquiring about recent COVID-19 tests, or having sexual contact without kissing. Conclusion: Study findings suggest a need for colleges and universities to help students manage COVID-19 prevention in intimate relationships.

COVID-19, livelihoods and gender: Material, relational and subjective realities in rural Zambia

This study explores material, relational and subjective elements of wellbeing as micro-level gendered impacts of COVID-19 policy responses on agro-based livelihoods. Using a test case of rural Zambia, we apply a mixed methods research design and draw data from household surveys, household case study interviews, group discussions, and multi-level interviews. Results show gendered impacts at four significant levels of granularity: markets and material wellbeing, household provisioning, labour and care burdens, relationships and social networks, and disruptions to membership organisations and social initiatives. Production and processes leading to market disruptions lead to a gendered reconcentration of economic activities around men who flex financial muscle and flout COVID-19 guidelines respectively. Women on the other hand are squeezed out of production and market circuits, quickly loosing livelihood strategies and getting relegated to unpaid and invisible household work. Whereas women endeavour to find ways to support their families, such as attempting to maintain group savings initiatives, low levels of policy satisfaction, including declining production and market dynamics limit actions towards inclusive and equitable forms of COVID-19 recovery in rural geographies. We call for holistic interventions that consider community patterns of livelihoods and how they are impacted by the pandemic, necessitating a focus on gender sensitive initiatives that are locally driven, build resilience and empower women.

A qualitative study exploring healthcare workers' lived experiences of the impacts of COVID-19 policies and guidelines on maternal and reproductive healthcare services in the United Kingdom.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, pregnant women were regarded as vulnerable to poor health outcomes if infected with the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus. To protect the United Kingdom's (UK) National Health Service (NHS) and pregnant patients, strict infection control policies and regulations were implemented. This study aimed to understand the impact of the COVID-19 policies and guidelines on maternal and reproductive health services during the pandemic from the experiences of healthcare workers (HCWs) caring for these patients. This qualitative study involved HCWs from the United Kingdom Research study into Ethnicity and COVID-19 outcomes in Healthcare workers (UK-REACH) project. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted online or by telephone with 44 diverse HCWs. Transcripts were thematically analyzed following Braun and Clarke's principles of qualitative analysis. Three key themes were identified during analysis. First, infection control policies impacted appointment availability, resulting in many cancellations and delays to treatment. Telemedicine was also used extensively to reduce risks from face-to-face consultations, disadvantaging patients from minoritized ethnicities. Secondly, staff shortages and redeployments reduced availability of consultations, appointments, and sonography scans. Finally, staff and patients reported challenges accessing timely, reliable and accurate information and guidance. COVID-19 demonstrated how a global health crisis can impact maternal and reproductive health services, leading to reduced service quality and surgical delays due to staff redeployment policies. Our findings underscore the implications of policy and future health crises preparedness. This includes tailored infection control policies, addressing elective surgery backlogs early and improved dissemination of relevant vaccine information.

Predictors of compliance with COVID-19 guidelines across countries: the role of social norms, moral values, trust, stress, and demographic factors

Predictors of compliance with COVID-19 guidelines across countries: the role of social norms, moral values, trust, stress, and demographic factors

Pathological Lung Ultrasound May Take Time to Resolve Despite Respiratory Symptoms Improvement: A Pediatric Case Series Followed for Long COVID

Background: Long COVID affects 8 to 10 % of children. Currently, the COVID-19 fo-llow-up protocols in children include chest auscultation, collection of growth parameters, including weight, height and body mass index, execution of the six-minute walking test, basal spirometry, and afterwards, bronchodilation test and lung ultrasound. Case Presentation: In this paper, the authors describe a case series of long COVID followed up for 9 months at the Department of Pediatrics of the University Luigi Vanvitelli. The review of the lite-rature was performed on PubMed using the keywords COVID-19, follow-up, children, and lung ul-trasound. The aim of this article was to highlight the need to create custom follow-up programs for long Covid in children through the description of a case followed up at our Pediatric Department and a review of the current literature Discussion: The reversal of pathological lung ultrasound signs occurred in six or nine months des-pite the early improvement of respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function. There are limited stu-dies on the ultrasonography follow-up of kids with COVID-19 in the literature, and there are still no follow-up COVID-19 guidelines for paediatric population. Conclusion: Pathological lung ultrasound in children recovered from COVID-19, may take time to resolve; therefore, evaluating patients with lung ultrasound in the following months could be a ra-diation-saving approach useful for children who have fully recovered and have no warning signs.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary health care practices and patient management in the Republic of Moldova - results from the PRICOV-19 survey

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on health systems in Europe and has generated unprecedented challenges for tertiary care. Less is known about the effects on the activities of local family doctors (FDs), who have shifted tasks and adapted their practice to accommodate the new services brought by the pandemic. The PRICOV-19 study was a multi-country survey aiming to understand the challenges posed by the pandemic in primary health care (PHC) practices around Europe. Within the framework of this study, we assessed the impact of the pandemic on PHC facilities in urban, rural, and mixed urban/rural areas in the Republic of Moldova.MethodsWe present the results from the PRICOV-19 questionnaire designed at Ghent University (Belgium) and distributed between January and March 2021 to PHC facilities from the 35 districts of the Republic of Moldova. This analysis presents descriptive data on limitations to service delivery, staff role changes, implementation and acceptance of COVID-19 guidelines, and incidents reported on staff and patient safety during the pandemic.ResultsResults highlighted the differences between facilities located in urban, rural, and mixed areas in several dimensions of PHC. Nearly half of the surveyed facilities experienced limitations in the building or infrastructure when delivering services during the pandemic. 95% of respondents reported an increase in time spent giving information to patients by phone, and 88% reported an increase in responsibilities. Few practices reported errors in clinical assessments, though a slightly higher number of incidents were reported in urban areas. Half of the respondents reported difficulties delivering routine care to patients with chronic conditions and a delay in treatment-seeking.ConclusionsDuring the pandemic, the workload of PHC staff saw a significant increase, and practices met important structural and organizational limitations. Consequently, these limitations may have also affected care delivery for vulnerable patients with chronic conditions. Adjustments and bottlenecks need to be addressed, considering the different needs of PHC facilities in urban, rural, and mixed areas.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the regional orthopedic anesthesia guidelines

Abstract Background The infection of humans with virus SARS-Cov-2 was first reported in December 2019, in Wuhan, China and in 11th March 2020, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Since transmission was mainly through inhalation of droplets, general anesthesia was considered a high-risk transmission procedure. In this context, to choose regional anesthesia whenever possible, was recommended. Our main aim was to analyze if COVID-19 lead to an increased use of regional anesthesia in orthopedic surgeries. Methods Based on the orthopedic anesthetic activity of Hospital de Cascais (Portugal), two six months periods were compared: one following the resume of surgical activity after the first pandemic wave (“after COVID period”) and the homologous period of the previous year (“before COVID period”). Both periods were assessed for homogeneity for: age, sex, ASA status, contraindications for regional anesthesia, type of surgery, duration, priority and outpatient/inpatient care. Chi-square or Fisher tests were applied, as well as a binary logistic regression. Results Periods were significantly different for care (p = 0,0028), with more outpatient surgery in the after COVID period (43% versus 37,2%). No bivariate association was identified between periods and anesthesia. However, the binary logistic regression showed higher odds of being submitted to regional anesthesia in the after COVID period (p = 0,002 OR = 1,507 CI95%[1,156-1,964]). Conclusions Possible explanations for absent bivariate association between period and anesthesia, are that all patients were tested for COVID-19, and the higher number of outpatient surgery (for which general anesthesia is preferred) in the after COVID period. When all predictors were controlled with the binary logistic regression, the guidelines seemed to have been followed. However, the lower limit of CI95% is near 1. This may indicate that in the future, further efforts to implement regional anesthesia guidelines, may be needed. Key messages • COVID-19 Guidelines for regional anesthesia were followed but additional efforts are needed, as new pandemics are expected. • As a preventive measure for future pandemics, training programs of regional anesthesia should be mandatory.

Effectiveness of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir for the treatment of patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 and at high risk of hospitalization: Systematic review and meta-analyses of observational studies.

To assess the effectiveness of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir in the treatment of outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19 who are at higher risk of developing severe illness, through a systematic review with meta-analyses of observational studies. A systematic search was performed, in accordance with the Cochrane search methods, to identify observational studies that met the inclusion criteria. The outcomes of mortality and hospitalization were analyzed. Search was conducted on PubMed, EMBASE, and The Cochrane Library. Two reviewers independently screened references, selected the studies, extracted the data, assessed the risk of bias using ROBINS-I tool and evaluated the quality of evidence using the GRADE tool. This study followed the PRISMA reporting guideline. A total of 16 observational studies were finally included. The results of the meta-analysis showed that in comparison to standard treatment without antivirals, nirmatrelvir-ritonavir reduced the risk of death by 59% (OR = 0.41; 95% CI: 0.35-0.52; moderate certainty of evidence). In addition, a 53% reduction in the risk of hospital admission was observed (OR = 0.47; 95% CI: 0.36-0.60, with very low certainty of evidence). For the composite outcome of hospitalization and/or mortality, there was a 56% risk reduction (OR = 0.44; 95% CI: 0.31-0.64, moderate certainty of evidence). The results suggest that nirmatrelvir-ritonavir could be effective in reducing mortality and hospitalization. The results were valid in vaccinated or unvaccinated high-risk individuals with COVID-19. Data from ongoing and future trials may further advance our understanding of the effectiveness and safety of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir and help improve treatment guidelines for COVID-19.

Perceptions and Experiences of Undergraduate Students Regarding Social Media as a Tool for Government COVID-19-Related Messages: A Qualitative Study in Nottingham, UK.

The rise of social media has given way to its use as a form of public health communication. Previous research has shown social media-based interventions to be effective, particularly for university students. Social media was used as a tool for public health messaging during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, there is a lack of information regarding the experiences and perceptions of such messaging and its effectiveness among UK university students. A qualitative study was conducted to explore the perceptions and experiences of public health messaging on social media during the pandemic, as well as the effects of such messaging. Fourteen semi-structured interviews with undergraduate students at the University of Nottingham, UK, were conducted. Five main themes were identified: effects of COVID-19 on university students, use of social media by university students, COVID-19 messaging on social media, effects of public health messaging on social media in compliance with COVID-19 guidelines, and improving public health messaging for the future. This study provides a novel insight into the experiences and perceptions of undergraduate students at a UK university regarding public health messaging on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic.

High-dose methylprednisolone pulse therapy during refractory COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome: a retrospective observational study

BackgroundCurrent COVID-19 guidelines recommend the early use of systemic corticoids for COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). It remains unknown if high-dose methylprednisolone pulse therapy (MPT) ameliorates refractory COVID-19 ARDS after many days of mechanical ventilation or rapid deterioration with or without extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).MethodsThis is a retrospective observational study. Consecutive patients with COVID-19 ARDS treated with a parenteral high-dose methylprednisolone pulse therapy at the intensive care units (ICU) of two University Hospitals between January 1st 2021 and November 30st 2022 were included. Clinical data collection was at ICU admission, start of MPT, 3-, 10- and 14-days post MPT.ResultsThirty-seven patients (mean age 55 ± 12 years) were included in the study. MPT started at a mean of 17 ± 12 days after mechanical ventilation. Nineteen patients (54%) received ECMO support when commencing MPT. Mean paO2/FiO2 significantly improved 3- (p = 0.034) and 10 days (p = 0.0313) post MPT. The same applied to the necessary FiO2 10 days after MPT (p = 0.0240). There were no serious infectious complications. Twenty-four patients (65%) survived to ICU discharge, including 13 out of 20 (65%) needing ECMO support.ConclusionsLate administration of high-dose MPT in a critical subset of refractory COVID-19 ARDS patients improved respiratory function and was associated with a higher-than-expected survival of 65%. These data suggest that high-dose MPT may be a viable salvage therapy in refractory COVID-19 ARDS.

Family Child Care Providers’ Experiences of Implementing the COVID-19 Guidelines: Implications for Future Emergencies

Family Child Care Providers’ Experiences of Implementing the COVID-19 Guidelines: Implications for Future Emergencies

Voluntary blood donation camp- A challenge during COVID-19 pandemic

Voluntary blood donors are the mainstay of any blood donation camp, whether in a hospital or in a blood bank. Selection of such donors becomes an important element in any blood donation program. However, the spread of COVID-19 worldwide had a crippling impact on blood donations/ blood safety and had posed a huge challenge. Hence, an insight into conduction of a blood donation camp during the pandemic and analysis of reasons for donor deferral becomes highly important.This is an observational study about a voluntary blood donation camp held for general public during the second wave of COVID-19 in a school at Kottur, Karnataka. Donor details were taken with the help of questionnaires. Procedures and safety protocols put in place during donation was noted and reasons for deferral obtained from donor questionnaires and by examination of donors was analyzed.The blood donation camp was conducted with proper COVID-19 guidelines. A total of 105 individuals came for donation of which 37 were deferred. 6 deferrals were due to COVID-related cause, 31 deferrals were non-COVID related and overall the most common cause of deferral was hypertension. With the help of proper safety measures, blood donation camps can be successfully conducted during pandemic like COVID-19. And the crisis for blood and its products can be met by adopting appropriate guidelines.

531 Virtual Fracture Clinic Management During the COVID-19 Pandemic at Glasgow Royal Infirmary: The MAVCOV Study

Abstract Aim To evaluate the efficacy of the Virtual Fracture Clinic (VFC) in terms of patient satisfaction and clinical outcome, pre and during COVID at Glasgow Royal Infirmary (GRI). The impact of the pandemic on the quality of patient management was assessed by comparing two sets of patients who (1) presented to the clinic when British Orthopaedic Association Standards for Trauma and Orthopaedics (BOAST) COVID-19 guidelines were first introduced (Pre-Lockdown Cohort) and (2) presented after practitioners were familiar with these guidelines (Lockdown Cohort). Method This was a retrospective review of VFC patients. Data extracted included demographic information, management plans and three-month follow-up outcomes. Patients discharged without further follow-up underwent a telephone questionnaire to assess patient satisfaction. Results 286 patients were included in this study. 96.7% of patients in the pre-lockdown cohort presented to the VFC within 3 days of presentation as opposed to 93.3% of the lockdown cohort. 54.1% of the pre-lockdown cohort were referred to face-face/specialty clinics as opposed to 44.8% of the lockdown cohort. 6.9% of a subset of the lockdown cohort had an unplanned re-attendance to hospital for associated pain as opposed to 1.12% of a subset of the pre-lockdown cohort. 72% of the pre-lockdown cohort reported they were ‘very satisfied’ as opposed to 40% of the lockdown cohort. Conclusions The data reflects that there was a net shift from face-face consultations to discharge with nurse call between the pre-lockdown cohort and lockdown cohort however, this came with a substantial drop in patient satisfaction and an increased re-attendance rate.

School health systems under strain: an example of COVID-19 experiences & burnout among school health staff in Pima County, Arizona

BackgroundSchool health staff lead and provide a variety of care for children in schools. As school districts have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, school health staff have faced unprecedented challenges in protecting the health of students and school staff. Our objective was to qualitatively characterize these pandemic challenges and experiences of school health staff in Pima County, Arizona to identify gaps in school health staff support for improving future emergency preparedness.MethodsWe conducted two focus group discussions (FGDs) with 48 school health staff in Pima County, Arizona in two school districts using a discussion guide including ten open-ended questions. The FGDs were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. We used the socioecological model (SEM) to organize the thematic analysis and generate codes and themes; data were analyzed using Atlas.ti software.FindingsThe pandemic has significantly challenged school health staff with new pandemic-related job tasks: managing isolation, vaccination, and developing/implementing new and evolving COVID-19 guidelines. School health staff also reported increased stress related to interactions with parents and school administration as well as frustrations with rapid changes to guidance from the health department and policy makers. A common issue was not having enough staff or resources to complete regular job responsibilities, such as providing care for students with non-COVID-19 related health issues.ConclusionsIncreased workload for school health staff resulted in physical burnout, mental distress, and disruption of core functions with long term implications for children’s health. These focus groups highlight the need for improved emergency preparedness in schools during pandemics or infectious disease outbreaks. These include basic infrastructure changes (e.g., personnel support from health departments for tasks such as contact tracing to enable school nurses to continue core functions), and increased funding to allow for hazard pay and more school health personnel during emergency situations. In addition, basic school health infrastructure is lacking, and we should include a licensed school health nurse in every school.

Understanding and managing the Self-Wise during a healthcare crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought an interesting yet worrisome phenomenon to the fore. A segment of the population, which we call the Self-Wise, seems to exhibit an inflated sense of self-expertise relative to domain experts, which – combined with a lack of trust in the latter – leads them to ignore or reject expert advice. We argue and demonstrate that this phenomenon is distinct from other “illusory superiority” phenomena, most notably Dunning-Kruger and Lake Wobegon. Three studies with US participants provide compelling evidence for the existence of the Self-Wise phenomenon. In the context of COVID-19, its behavioral consequences are non-compliance with expert-based COVID-19 guidelines and measures (e.g., wearing a mask and getting vaccinated). The studies also provide insight into additional characteristics of the Self-Wise, which can be used for identification and targeting purposes. We tested the effectiveness of two tailored interventions that aimed at reducing this segment's “illusory superiority” and (re-)establishing their trust in medical experts. The interventions proved effective in terms of reducing the “illusory superiority” of the Self-Wise, and generally enhanced the participants' intention to comply with COVID-19 guidelines. However, to substantially change the non-conforming COVID-19 behavior of the Self-Wise likely requires stronger and sustained mitigation strategies or interventions.

Identifying measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in outpatient clinics

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the physical environmental problems of two Thai community hospitals’ outpatient departments (OPDs) during the COVID-19 outbreak and to provide design guidelines for respiratory disease prevention.Design/methodology/approachA three-step method was used. The first step involved walk-through observations at Mae Wang Hospital and Doi Saket Hospital to assess the physical environment. The second step consisted of interviews with 22 medical staff working in the two hospitals. Third, the observation and interview data were used to develop a preliminary design guideline, which was evaluated by two focus groups comprising the same interview participants.FindingsThe observational findings showed that the two hospitals had difficulties following the COVID-19 prevention protocol due to physical environmental problems. Four different themes emerged from the analysis of the medical staff interviews. The preliminary design guidelines that were evaluated through two focus group discussions resulted in design recommendations for four areas (the overall building, clinical, support and staff areas) in the Mae Wang and Doi Saket OPD buildings. Three topics of design recommendations were provided to reduce the spread of COVID-19: improving hospital management, space design and air quality.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to provide design guidelines for COVID-19 and respiratory disease prevention in Thai community hospital OPD buildings.

Nurses’ Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices regarding COVID-19 National Guidelines in Selected Palestine Public Hospitals

The front line of healthcare professionals that could be at high risk for COVID-19 is nursing personnel. In Palestine, there is a lack of data on nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding COVID-19 national guidelines. Undeniably, nurses’ adherence to control measures is affected by KAP. The study’s goal was to assess nurses’ KAP toward prescribed COVID-19 hospital guidelines. A cross-sectional, quantitative and descriptive design was used in this research involving a total of 340 nurses working in hospitals and health care centres in Palestine. The survey was conducted between May and July 2021 by means of a computerised survey questionnaire. Four portions of the questionnaire included sociodemographic data, nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding COVID-19 national guidelines. Results showed that a total of 248 (73.0%) nurses demonstrated good knowledge of COVID-19 national guidelines, 207 (61.0%) displayed positive attitudes, and 226 (66.6%) complied with prescribed COVID-19 guidelines as evidenced through observations of their daily nursing care practices. Increasing knowledge and training for improving attitudes and practices among frontline nurses is paramount for controlling the transmission of COVID-19. Nurses and other healthcare professionals who have direct or indirect contact with COVID-19 patients should be protected from infection by policies and education, which should be implemented.

Evaluation of the effect of Remdesivir on some biomarkers in Iraqi patients with coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19): A cross-sectional study.

COVID-19 is a new virus spreading worldwide that can cause mild to severe illness, multi-organ failure, and even death. Injectable antiviral Remdesivir is effective in treating patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19. Biomarkers linked to clinical outcomes have been found for COVID-19, although only a few antiviral therapies have been studied. This study aimed to assess how Remdesivir affects several biomarkers in patients with COVID-19 and how those changes impact the severity of the illness. According to Chinese care guidelines for COVID-19, 80 patients with COVID-19 were separated into two groups: group 1 did not receive Remdesivir (RDV) medication and Group 2 received it after 5 days. Injectable antiviral Remdesivir has recently been tested in high-risk, individuals with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who were not hospitalized, and it successfully delayed the onset of the illness. From February 2022 to October 2023, blood samples were taken from study participants to evaluate ferritin, Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH), and C-reactive protein. The results of this investigation showed that various COVID-19 severity biomarkers, including ferritin, C-reactive protein, and lactate dehydrogenase, may improve more quickly with RDV treatment. These biomarkers are linked to better clinical outcomes during infection. These discoveries enhance the understanding of the COVID-19 antiviral treatment's function. In conclusion, there is a clear association between the levels of biomarkers before and after Remdesivir treatment in COVID-19 cases ranging from moderate to severe. This suggests that the COVID-19 infection might lead to the elevation of several biomarkers.

Nursing students’ experiences of unprofessional behaviours and associations with guideline compliance: A multicenter survey

AimsTo assess the reported prevalence of unprofessional behaviours, including incivility and bullying, experienced by nursing students during their clinical practice. To assess the prevalence of students’ abilities to speak up about unprofessional behaviours encountered and infection control concerns; their compliance with standard precautions and COVID-19 guidelines; and their perceived responsibility for infection prevention. Lastly, to describe the potential impact of unprofessional behaviour on compliance with these guidelines. BackgroundUnprofessional behaviours in healthcare settings are associated with a wide range of individual and organisational negative outcomes for nurses and nursing students, which may affect patient safety. The COVID-19 pandemic created new challenges for clinical education and for infection control. DesignA descriptive cross-sectional design. MethodsA multi-centre survey was carried out in six academic universities and colleges in Israel. The research study involved 369 undergraduate nursing students during 2022. Their clinical experiences were assessed using an online questionnaire. The STROBE guideline was used for accurate reporting. Results301 (81.6%) students reported experience of unprofessional behaviour while undertaking clinical practice. Students with reported skills to speak up about unprofessional behaviour were less likely to report having experienced these behaviours (p = 0.003). Students who did not experience unprofessional behaviours were more likely to report higher compliance with standard and COVID-19 precaution guidelines (OR 3.624, 95% CI 1.790–7.335, p < 0.001). These students also had a higher perception of personal responsibility toward patient safety (OR 1.757, 95% CI 1.215–2.541, p = 0.003). ConclusionsNursing students experiencing unprofessional behaviours in the clinical setting reported lower compliance with standard and COVID-19 precautions. In addition, cultivating personal responsibility towards patients’ safety may have a positive impact on guidelines compliance. Nursing educators and leaders should develop strategies to enable students to better cope with unprofessional behaviours. Closer cooperation between all stakeholders may promote civility among nurses and nursing students in the clinical setting.

COVID-19 STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE ADVANCEMENT FOR OFFICE BUILDING USING INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ELEMENTS

COVID-19 guideline is expected to be part of the 'new norms' for workplace. However, regarding COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by Ministry of Health Malaysia, there is inadequate concentration on Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) parameters even it has been proven in various research that COVID-19 transmission spread actively in indoor environment and green elements could mitigate the virus transmission. Therefore, this study aims to enhance existing COVID-19 SOP by discovering sustainable COVID-19 framework for office building. Sets of questionnaires is distributed among employees at Menara Majlis Bandaraya Johor Bahru, Malaysia and analysed using Frequency Analysis and Cross Tabulation Analysis. Overall, result shows that EQ7 Air Change Effectiveness is the most important IEQ parameters that can be selected to improve the current COVID-19 SOP. This study is significant for building manager in workplace to enhance their current SOP by adding green elements which is IEQ parameters to reduce COVID-19 spread in workplace.