Healthcare Workers In Relation Research Articles

Questionable Immunity to Mumps among Healthcare Workers in Italy-A Cross-Sectional Serological Study.

Highly contagious diseases, such as mumps, are a global concern as new epidemics continue to emerge, even in highly vaccinated populations. The risk of transmission and spread of these viruses is even higher for individuals who are more likely to be exposed, including healthcare workers (HCWs). In healthcare settings, both HCWs and patients are at risk of infection during the care process, potentially leading to nosocomial epidemic outbreaks. Mumps is often underestimated compared with measles and rubella, despite being milder and less likely to spread. In fact, the risk of complications following mumps infection is extremely high, especially if the disease occurs in adulthood. The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine has been shown to be an excellent preventive measure. Unfortunately, the mumps component appears to be less effective in inducing immunity than those for measles and rubella (two-dose effectiveness of 85%, 95% and 97%, respectively). The main aim of our study was to investigate the prevalence of detectable mumps antibodies (serum IgG antibodies) in a cohort of Italian and foreign HCWs in relation to personal and occupational factors. We included in the study 468 subjects who underwent health surveillance at the Occupational Medicine Unit of the Tor Vergata Polyclinic in Rome during the period from January 2021 to March 2023. In our study, the proportion of HCWs found to be unprotected against mumps was very high (8.3%), and those found to be immune are below the WHO threshold for herd immunity (95%). From our data, it seems essential that all occupational health services carry out an accurate screening with a dose of anti-mumps antibodies to assess serological protection before starting a job, regardless of an individual's vaccination history. This approach is proving to be beneficial, accurate, as it allows all serologically non-immune individuals to be vaccinated in the workplace, including those who would be protected by their vaccination history but have lost the antibody response.

Chronic cough in children: an evidence-based clinical practice guideline adapted for the use in Egypt using ‘Adapted ADAPTE’

BackgroundWe recently adopted a guideline for chronic cough in children in the Egyptian health system. Adapting clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) to the local healthcare setting is a valid alternative to de-novo development that can improve their uptake and implementation without demanding a substantial drain on resources. The objective of this study was to adapt evidence-based recommendations from global high-quality CPGs for children with a chronic cough to suit the Egyptian healthcare context.MethodsWe followed the Adapted ADAPTE methodological framework for guideline adaptation. This process includes three phases: set-up, adaptation, and finalization. A guideline adaptation group (GAG) and an external review group including clinical content experts and methodologists conducted the process.ResultsThe GAG adapted 10 sections of recommendations from three original CPG(s) including (i) the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) 2006–2020, (ii) the European Respiratory Society (ERS) 2019, (iii) the Korean Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology (KAAACI) 2018. A set of CPG implementation tools was added to enhance implementability including an algorithm, a slide presentation for clinical diagnosis, investigations and treatment of chronic cough, patient education, and online resources.ConclusionThe adapted CPG provides pediatricians and related healthcare workers with applicable evidence-based recommendations for chronic cough in children in Egypt. The project also highlighted the utility of Adapted ADAPTE and the invaluable collaboration between the clinical and methodological experts for the adaptation of pediatric national guidelines.

When a Crisis Hits, Send in the Psychologists? A Latent Transition Analysis of Help-Seeking Behavior Among Swedish Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

During a crisis, there is limited time to plan support initiatives for healthcare workers and few resources available to ensure that they engage with them. Using the context of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, this study aimed to investigate help-seeking behaviors among healthcare workers in relation to psychological support initiatives offered to them. Data from a Swedish longitudinal survey following healthcare workers from early (N = 681) to mid-pandemic (N = 396) were analyzed using latent class and transition analyses. We found three patterns of healthcare workers’ help-seeking behavior that applied to both time points: (1) engaging with different forms of group-based support, (2) not participating in any kind of offered support, and (3) only having been offered information-based support. The availability of support declined during the mid-pandemic. Group support users were primarily nurses and frontline workers, with higher levels of burnout symptoms. Our findings suggest that healthcare organizations should limit their implementation of psychological support during a crisis to a few key formats based on social support. Promoting participation from all staff groups may enhance the inclusivity, effectiveness, and sustainability of the support.

Impact of digital assistive technologies on the quality of life for people with dementia: a scoping review

BackgroundDigital assistive technologies (DATs) have emerged as promising tools to support the daily life of people with dementia (PWD). Current research tends to concentrate either on specific categories of DATs...

Study of the Relationship between Sensory Processing Sensitivity and Burnout Syndrome among Speech and Language Therapists

Background: Burnout syndrome can arise due to either situational factors such as working conditions, or dispositional factors such as certain temperaments, like a high sensory processing sensitivity. We aim to address the relative absence of studies on speech-language therapists and seek to determine the role of high sensitivity for these healthcare workers in relation to burnout syndrome. Method: The sample consisted of 602 female speech-language pathologists who anonymously completed a questionnaire measuring burnout (ProQOL 5th edition) and sensory processing sensitivity (HSPS-FR). Results: The results revealed that 77.41% of the participants reported moderate or high burnout scores. Furthermore, the analyses revealed that highly sensitive participants are more vulnerable to burnout than others. Conclusion: This study highlights the negative impact of high sensory processing sensitivity on burnout. However, according to the kind of sensitivity, we discuss the way in which highly sensitive caregivers can master this sensitivity in order to use it as a strength in their professions and to spare themselves from suffering deleterious effects, such as compassion fatigue and/or burnout.

Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of community-acquired pneumonia in children: an evidence-based clinical practice guideline adapted for the use in Egypt using ‘Adapted ADAPTE’

BackgroundWe recently adapted a guideline for Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) in children to the Egyptian health system. Adaptation of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to the local healthcare context is a valid alternative to de novo development that can upgrade their application without enforcing a major burden on resources. The objective of this manuscript is to elucidate diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of CAP as well as methods used for the adaptation process to produce the 1st National Guideline for Community-Acquired Pneumonia in children in Egypt using Adapted ADAPTE method. The full process was described extensively with all three phases of set up, adaptation, and finalization. An adaptation group and an external review including clinical content experts and methodologists conducted the process.ResultsThe authors adapted 10 principal categories of recommendations from three source Clinical Practice Guidelines. Recommendations incorporate; common clinical manifestations, indications for hospitalization and intensive care unit admission, indications for laboratory investigations and radiology in diagnosis, choice of empiric antibiotic therapy in the outpatient and hospitalized children with non-complicated CAP and the duration of therapy, the role of influenza antiviral therapy, follow-up anticipated response to therapy, management of non-responding pneumonia, criteria of safe discharge, and prevention of CAP. Many tools were gathered and established to improve implement ability containing two clinical algorithms for management of non-complicated CAP and for non-responding pneumonia in children, pathway for assessment of severity of CAP in primary care facilities, medication tables, simplified Arabic patient information, PowerPoint slide presentation lecture for management of CAP, and online resources.ConclusionThe final clinical guideline supports pediatricians and related healthcare workers with evidence-based applicable guidance for managing community-acquired pneumonia in Egypt. This work demonstrated the efficiency of Adapted ADAPTE and highlighted the importance of a cooperative clinical and methodological professional group for adaptation of national guidelines.

Association between sex hormones and anti-S/RBD antibody responses to COVID-19 vaccines in healthcare workers

ABSTRACT Healthcare workers (HCWs) are the target population for vaccination against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as they are at a high risk of exposure and transmission of pathogens to patients. Neutralizing antibodies developed after COVID-19 vaccination decline within few months of vaccination. Several factors, including age and sex, can affect the intensity, efficacy, and duration of immune response to vaccines. However, sex-specific analyses of humoral responses to COVID-19 vaccines are lacking. This study aimed to evaluate sex-based differences in anti-S/RBD (Receptor Binding Domain) responses at three different time points after the second dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in HCWs in relation to age, and to investigate the role of sex hormones as potential markers of response. Anti-S/RBD levels after two doses of the mRNA vaccine were collected from 521 HCWs naïve to COVID-19, working at two Italian Clinical Centers. Multiple regression analysis was applied to evaluate the association between anti-S levels and sex, age, and plasma levels of sex hormones. Significantly higher anti-S/RBD response to the COVID-19 vaccination was found in female HCWs, and a significant and more abrupt decline in response with time was observed in women than that in men. A novel, positive association of testosterone plasma levels and higher anti-S levels in male HCWs was found, suggesting its potential role as sex specific marker in males. In conclusion, understanding the sex-based differences in humoral immune responses to vaccines may potentially improve vaccination strategies and optimize surveillance programs for HCWs.

COVID-19 Pandemisi Sırasında Bir Grup Adölesanda Algılanan Stresin Değerlendirilmesi

Abstract: This study aimed to determine the Perceived Stress (AS) effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on a group of adolescents by using the Turkish version of the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (ASÖ-10) in the first period of the pandemic. Objectives: The present study aimed to identify, among a group of adolescents, the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Perceived Stress (PS) using Turkish version of Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10) at initial period of pandemic. Materials and Metods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to adolescents aged 14–18 years who were invited to participate in the online survey via the Google Docs platform.The analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics version 1.0.0.1347 (IBM, New York, USA).Chi-squared tests were used to analyze the categorical variables of the demographic data, and the t-test was used to compare the differences between the groups for the independent samples. Results:A sample of 316 adolescents were enrolled in the study.The study population reported moderate levels of PS (19.91±3.54).Boys scored significantly higher than girls (p=0.046). The higher family income group showed a significantly higher PS than low income groups (p<0.05; F=5.144). Participants who reported mother’s and father’s job were health care workers (HCWs) had higher PS compared with participants who reported mother’s and father’s job wasn’t related HCWs. Multiple linear regression analysis showed the higher family income increased their PSS-10 scores by 1.71 (p=.016). Conclusion:We aimed to draw attention to adolescents in this study because we thought that they should receive support to help them cope with pandemic-related stress and get them through this period with a healthier spirit. The PSS-10 was user friendly and can be only applied in a few minutes providing a quick measurement especially during pandemic.

Relationship between occupational hazards and Adverse pregnancy outcome in health care workers in Gonabad University of Medical Sciences

Introduction: Reproductive disorders are mentioned as one of the ten main diseases and work-related injuries and working in the health care field may affect pregnancy and its complications .The aim of this study was to observe the adverse consequences of pregnancy between female health care workers in relation to Occupational risk factors
 Methods and Materials: This cross-sectional study was performed on 153 female healthcare workers of Gonabad University of Medical Sciences Retrospectively during 2017-2020 who were selected by a Simple random sampling method. Data were collected through a checklist of women Health Care Workers. Data analysis was performed using Descriptive statistics methods, Chi-Square, Mann–Whitney U test with spss 22 at a significant level less than 0.05.
 Results: The frequency of pregnancy complications in female employees was 37.9%. Frequency of Premature labor 9.8%, abortion at 3.9%, and low birth weight at 6.5%, intrauterine growth restriction 4.6%, spotting and bleeding 25.5%, and pre-eclampsia 2% was reported. There was a significant association between some occupational hazards such as stress (P=0.04), exposure to anesthetic gas (P=0.015), prolonged standing (P=0.035), shift work (P=0.039), and workplace (P=0.012) with pregnancy complications. There was significant relationship between exposure to anesthetic gas with preterm labor (P=0.015) and Hours of work with low birth weight (P=0.013) and also significant relationship between shift work (P=0.039), long-standing (P=0.035) and workplace (P=0.012) with spotting and bleeding.
 Conclusion: Our study showed that some job characteristics and occupational hazards in health care workers affect the mother and the fetus and increase the risk of some pregnancy complications. Therefore, the support of pregnant health care workers in their work environment and the development of appropriate solutions in this regard must be taken into consideration by relevant organizations.

Intolerance of uncertainty and vaccine hesitancy of health care workers in response to covid 19 vaccination

IntroductionThe covid 19 pandemic was a period of uncertainty. This uncertainty was sustained even after the advent of the vaccine against covid 19. Several concerns have emerged related to the vaccine and health care workers were at the centre of this uncertainty.ObjectivesStudy intolerance of uncertainty and vaccine hesitancy among health care workers in relation to covid 19 vaccinationMethodsThis is a descriptive study conducted by a questionnaire posted on social networks using Google Forms targeting groups of health professionals before the launch of the vaccination campaign in Tunisia from January 16, 2021 to March 6, 2021.We collected sociodemographic data and the attitudes of health care workers about COVID 19 vaccination. We used Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale short form (IUS 12) to evaluate the intolerance of uncertainty related to COVID 19 vaccineResultsOur study included 168 health care workers represented mainly by medical personnel (81% of the respondents). The average age was 34 ±10 years and sex ratio was 0.22.Sixty percent (60%) of population were hesitant in front of the COVID 19 vaccine.This hesitancy was explained in 90% of cases by the insecurity of the new COVID19 vaccine. Thirty-seven percent (37%) doubted the efficacy of these vaccines and 22% trivialized COVID19 by expressing the worthlessness of preventing this disease.The mean score for intolerance of uncertainty was 26.57 ± 9.68 and a median of 26. The minimum score was 10 and the maximum score was 50. We found a significant association between intolerance of uncertainty and vaccine hesitancy (p=0.034). Subjects with higher uncertainty intolerance scores were less hesitant in front of COVID19 vaccination.ConclusionsIntolerance of uncertainty is a consideration when introducing a new covid 19 vaccine to health care workers and in a pandemic contextDisclosure of InterestNone Declared

Correlates of Psychological Stress and Trauma Symptoms with COVID-19 Exposure among Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Hospital

Abstract Background: During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Healthcare workers (HCWs) have been at the frontline of the healthcare and have reported higher risk of infection along with higher stress levels. This study aims to understand the association of the stress and trauma related symptoms in HCWs in relation to the COVID 19 exposure. Methods: A prospective follow up study was conducted in HCWs working at two obstetric centers in India from July to August 2020. HCWs who had been exposed to COVID 19 patients were assessed for stress and trauma related symptoms before the RTPCR test and once after the RTPCR test results were out. The Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20), Perceived Stress scale (PSS) and Impact of Event Scale – Revised (IES-R) were used to assess the stress and trauma related symptoms in HCWs. Results: A total of 151 HCWs participated in the study. 120 (79.4%) of the participants were female. 95 out of the 151 (62.5%) participants belonged to the 20-40 years age group. There was a significant reduction in stress related scores of HCWs in both SRQ-20 and PSS after the RTPCR results. Conclusion: There is increased psychological distress in HCWs after exposure to COVID infection, which significantly decreases once their COVID test is done. This indicates that the fear of infection itself is a stressful and traumatic process affecting the HCWs. The results highlight the importance of screening HCWs for stress related symptoms after exposure. Providing immediate psychological support to the HCWs will improve mental status and working capacity at the earliest.

Main Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccination Uptake among Italian Healthcare Workers in Relation to Variable Degrees of Hesitancy: Result from a Cross-Sectional Online Survey.

Hesitancy remains one of the major hurdles to vaccination, regardless of the fact that vaccines are indisputable preventive measures against many infectious diseases. Nevertheless, vaccine hesitancy or refusal is a growing phenomenon in the general population as well as among healthcare workers (HCWs). Many different factors can contribute to hesitancy to COVID-19 vaccination in the HCWs population, including socio-demographic characteristics (female gender, low socio-economical status, lower age), individual beliefs regarding vaccine efficacy and safety, as well as other factors (occupation, knowledge about COVID-19, etc.). Understanding the determinants of accepting or refusing the COVID-19 vaccination is crucial to plan specific interventions in order to increase the rate of vaccine coverage among health care workers. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey on HCWs in seventeen Italian regions, between 30 June and 4 July 2021, in order to collect information about potential factors related to vaccine acceptance and hesitancy. We found an overall vaccine uptake rate of 96.4% in our sample. Acceptance was significantly related to job task, with physicians showing the highest rate of uptake compared to other occupations. At univariate analysis, the HCWs population's vaccine hesitancy was significantly positively associated with fear of vaccination side effects (p < 0.01), and negatively related to confidence in the safety and efficacy of the vaccine (p < 0.01). Through multivariate analysis, we found that only the fear of possible vaccination side effects (OR: 4.631, p < 0.01) and the confidence in vaccine safety and effectiveness (OR: 0.35 p < 0.05) remained significantly associated with hesitancy. Action to improve operator confidence in the efficacy and safety of the vaccine should improve the acceptance rate among operators.

Status of stigma on the health care workers related to COVID-19 at the first wave of the pandemic in Iran: A qualitative study.

Stigma can be seen as a mark of disgrace that can lead to the separation of one person from another. In this qualitative study, we assess the status of stigma among in front-line health care workers (HCWs) during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran. The participants were selected from frontline HCWs related to COVID-19 in Imam Ali and Imam Hossein referral hospitals in Alborz province, Iran. Study was conducted between May and June 2020. The 32-item checklist Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) was used to report this qualitative study. Interview questions were prepared based on the grounded theory method. The thematic approach was used to analyze the data content. Data analysis was based on open and axial coding and after implementing the codes in MAXQDA software. The results of this study included 4 themes, 8 categories and 33 sub-categories. Themes included extrinsic and intrinsic elements of stigma, perplexity and stigma removal requirements. Extrinsic elements included "creating blame and shame" and "discrimination" categories. Intrinsic elements included "the desire to be avoidance," "feeling depressed and frustrated" and "feeling anxious and scared" categories. Perplexity included "feeling loss" category. Stigma removal requirements included "factors causing stigma" and "protective agents against stigma" categories. Low public awareness on COVID-19 and inadequate public care, limited personal protective equipment and inadequate facilities for HCWs along with lack of appreciation for their efforts, lack of proper psychiatric/psychological counseling to identify and treat symptoms associated with mental health and the limitations of training to maintain mental health skills are considered to be factors in the formation of stigma among HCWs related to COVID-19. Health policymakers should implement coherent strategies related to increasing public awareness and providing personal protection needs and counseling care for HCWs in relation to COVID-19.

Satisfaction with supervision of healthcare workers in relation to job satisfaction and selected characteristics of supervision

Aim: The aim of the study was to find out whether there was a correlation between satisfaction with supervision and job satisfaction among healthcare workers, and, in addition, whether there is a correlation between satisfaction with supervision and selected demographic data. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: The research sample consisted of staff in healthcare facilities who took care of patients / clients, and underwent supervision (n = 234). The McCloskey / Mueller Satisfaction Scale and Manchester Clinical Supervision Scale questionnaires were used. Results: In the case of job satisfaction, a statistically significant correlation was demonstrated between the effectiveness of the provided supervision and level of job satisfaction. When comparing selected demographic characteristics, a significant difference was demonstrated between satisfaction with supervision of psychiatric staff and hospice care staff. No statistically significant difference between the groups of respondents was demonstrated in satisfaction with supervision according to level of education. Conclusion: Our research demonstrated a correlation between satisfaction with supervision and job satisfaction. Satisfaction with supervision, in turn, depends on the workplace of the respondents. It is important to further educate staff in this area and promote the benefits of supervision in nursing practice.

Prospects of Integrating Gig Economy in the Saudi Arabian Health-care System from the Perspectives of Health-care Decision-makers and Practitioners.

BackgroundGig economy is an approach in the labor market which is characterized by the prevalence of short-term contracts or freelance work in contrast to permanent jobs. The gig workers are independent workers or temporary contract workers who enter into formal/informal agreements with on-demand companies to provide their services. Rather than employing full-time/permanent employees companies may utilize gig workers as per the demand and work burden, which can minimize the costs incurred in managing permanent employees. However, there is a lack of research on using gig economy in health care, its prospects and the issues involved.PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify and evaluate various prospects in integrating gig economy with the Saudi health-care system.MethodsAn online survey questionnaire instrument including 22 prospects under three categories including organizational competitiveness, resource management, and sustainable development was used for collecting data from 712 health-care decision-makers and practitioners in Saudi Arabia. Findings were analyzed using the statistical means and standard deviations for each item in the questionnaire for analyzing the role of each factor in depth, and t-tests were used for comparing the responses between the groups.ResultsT-tests revealed no significant differences among the experts and health-care workers in relation to organizational competitiveness and resource management; however, significant differences in opinions were identified in relation to sustainable development. Individual factors including motivation for Saudization program (mean=4.5, SD=1.15) and creating employment opportunities in rural areas (mean=4.5, SD=1.08), growth in economy (mean=4.4, SD=1.43), increased opportunities for women and disabled (mean=4.4, SD=1.28), and growth in employment (mean=4.3, SD=1.68) were the major prospects identified in relation to the use of gig economy in the Saudi Arabian health-care system.ConclusionGig economy may offer a wide range of benefits in health care, especially sustainable development, effective resource management, and organizational competitiveness.

Risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure among hospital healthcare workers in relation to patient contact and type of care.

Aim:We aimed to assess prevalence of IgG antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and factors associated with seropositivity in a large cohort of healthcare workers (HCWs).Methods:From 11 May until 11 June 2020, 3981 HCWs at a large Swedish emergency care hospital provided serum samples and questionnaire data. Presence of IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 was measured as an indicator of SARS-CoV-2 exposure.Results:The total seroprevalence was 18% and increased during the study period. Among the seropositive HCWs, 11% had been entirely asymptomatic. Participants who worked with COVID-19 patients had higher odds for seropositivity: adjusted odds ratio 1.96 (95% confidence intervals 1.59–2.42). HCWs from three of the departments managing COVID-19 patients had significantly higher seroprevalences, whereas the prevalence among HCWs from the intensive care unit (also managing COVID-19 patients) was significantly lower.Conclusions: HCWs in contact with SARS-CoV-2 infected patients had a variable, but on average higher, likelihood for SARS-CoV-2 infections.

High prevalence nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among long term care facility healthcare workers in relation to patient contact

SummaryBackgroundMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major public health concern worldwide. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are an important source of transmission of MRSA. We conducted a prospective study to define the frequency of S. aureus nasal colonization with emphasis on the carriage of MRSA in HCWs in relation to the intensity of patient contact.MethodsOut-of-hospital care emergency medical technicians and students, and HCWs in the emergency department, intensive care unit and a long-term care facility (LTCF) were enrolled to compare the prevalence of MRSA and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) nasal colonization. The MRSA isolates were further identified by their microbiological and molecular characteristics.FindingsS. aureus was isolated from 63 of 248 HCWs (25.4%). The overall MRSA nasal carriage rate was 15/248, 6%, and the prevalence was higher in the HCWs who had worked for 5–10 years (12.8%), and among female HCWs (10.3%) than male HCWs (0.9%). LTCFs had the highest prevalence (12%). In contrast, the overall carriage of MSSA was 48/248, 19.4%, and most carriers worked for ≥5 years (52.1%). Hospital nurses had the highest rate of MSSA carriage (21.4%). Most of the MRSA isolates were SCCmec IV/ST59 or ST45 (60%), and were resistant to erythromycin and clindamycin (53%).ConclusionsHospital nurses have highest S. aureus nasal carriage, whereas HCWs in the LTCFs comprise a significant reservoir of MRSA colonization. The differences in the characteristics of MRSA and MSSA nasal carriage among HCWs highlights the importance on long-term nasal screening of S. aureus in healthcare facilities.

Healthcare staff perceptions and misconceptions regarding antibody testing in the United Kingdom: implications for the next steps for antibody screening

BackgroundHealthcare workers have been at increased risk of exposure, infection and serious complications from COVID-19. Antibody testing has been used to identify staff members who have been previously infected by SARS-CoV-2, and has been rolled out rapidly in the United Kingdom. A number of comment and editorial articles have been published that raise concerns about antibody testing in this context. We present perceptions of National Health Service (NHS) healthcare workers in relation to SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing.MethodsAn electronic survey regarding perceptions towards SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing was distributed to all healthcare workers at a major NHS tertiary hospital following implementation of antibody testing.ResultsIn total, 560 healthcare workers completed the survey (80% female; 25% of Black and Minority Ethnic background; 58% from frontline clinical staff). Exploring whether they previously had COVID-19 was the primary reported reason for choosing to undergo antibody testing (85.2%). In case of a positive antibody test, 72% reported that they would feel relieved, whilst 48% felt that they would be happier to work in a patient-facing area. Moreover, 12% responded that a positive test would mean “social distancing is less important”, with 34% of the responders indicating that in this case they would be both less likely to catch COVID-19 and happier to visit friends/relatives.ConclusionsNHS staff members primarily seek out SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing for an appropriate reason. Based on our findings and given the lack of definite data regarding the extent of immunity protection from a positive SARS-CoV-2 antibody test, significant concerns may be raised regarding the reported interpretation by healthcare workers of positive antibody test results. This needs to be further explored and addressed to protect NHS staff and patients.

Incidence, management and outcome of MERS CoV outbreak in a hospital, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia

Background: In August 2014, there was a striking rise in positive cases of MERS-CoV was reported at a Hospital in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia (KSA) after unprotected exposure to a MERS-CoV patient. This study aims to report the outbreak of MERS-CoV in the hospital and the response implemented. Methods: Rapid response team was activated and mobilized to the hospital. Epidemic investigation was conducted. Epidemiological data of patients and health care workers in relation to unprotected exposure was collected. Based on risk stratification, expanded surveillance among health care workers was conducted. A plan was initiated and implemented by the rapid response team in collaboration with the hospital’s stakeholders and designated staff. The plan consisted of many aspects, including case finding and management, strict adherence to infection prevention and control measures, health care education, and their implementation. This was continued for 14 days after the last laboratory confirmed results. Results: During the surveillance period, 8 HCWs (2 physicians, 6 nurses), and two patients in addition to the index case were positive to MERS CoV. One physician, a nurse and 2 patients had no direct contact with the index case. No additional cases were identified after gap identification and strict implementation of infection prevention and control measures at the hospital. Conclusions: This outbreak of MERS-CoV was contained after implementing appropriate infection prevention and control measures. Early case identification and risk stratification might have played a major role in containing the cluster. This study highlights the importance of health care workers awareness, especially those on the front lines, and their response to case definition of MERS-CoV in KSA.

CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY ON ADVERSE PREGNANCY OUTCOMES AMONG FEMALE HEALTHCARE WORKERS IN KUCHING, SARAWAK

The weight of occupational risk on women in addition to men, is on their fecundity. NIOSH lists disorders of reproduction as one of the top ten leading work-related diseases and injuries. Nevertheless, women in the workforce is increasing and in healthcare, females make up the majority. This research is to observe the occurrences of adverse pregnancy outcomes among female healthcare workers in relation to their work schedules and its significance in relation to non-healthcare workers. A cross-sectional study was carried out using a questionnaire with 469 respondents; 339 healthcare and 130 non-healthcare workers, reporting 564 pregnancies. In this study, adverse pregnancy outcomes among female healthcare workers is significantly higher than non-healthcare workers. There are no significant findings between healthcare and non-healthcare workers with respect to the types of adverse pregnancy outcomes and the work schedule. However, from the respondents’ lifetime pregnancy outcome, we find that complete miscarriage occurred more frequently among healthcare workers who work on shift. Healthcare workers do experience a higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, commonly occurring among those who work on shiCross-Sectional Studyft/on-call.