Implementation Of Safety Measures Research Articles

Occupational exposures to airborne per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)-A review.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of synthetically-made chemicals with diverse functional properties that have become ubiquitous in our environment because of their widespread use. PFAS exposure has been associated with adverse health effects, and it is therefore vital to know how exposure may occur. Many studies have focused on environmental exposure from drinking water, but there is a paucity of data on inhalation exposure, especially in occupational settings. In this study, through a comprehensive literature search, measured airborne (i.e., aerosols, volatiles, and dust) inhalation exposure and area levels were compiled for various occupations to compare reported levels of PFAS exposure. Airborne PFAS levels measured in various occupations such as ski waxing, textile manufacturing, firefighting, and floor waxing were analyzed and compared. Results of this review demonstrate that workers experience varying levels of PFAS exposure contingent on the workplace and industry and the work tasks performed within the workplace. Out of all occupations, ski waxing exhibited the highest total PFAS airborne concentrations when compared to all other reported occupational and residential exposures. Further research is recommended to estimate the risk of PFAS exposures in the occupations reviewed and to identify other potential occupations at risk of PFAS exposure. In addition, informed recommendations to implement safety measures ought to be developed to protect workers from adverse health effects.

An examination and extension of the Peltzman effect during the Covid-19 pandemic

Since the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in Germany, the German government has introduced various measures to counteract the pandemic. The implementation of safety measures can have counterproductive effects: people engage in risk compensatory behavior (fewer safety behaviors) after regulations are introduced and obligated by the government, which is known as the Peltzman effect (Peltzman, 1975). Based on the Peltzman effect, the researchers of this study hypothesized that people complied less with safety behaviors and took more health risks (e.g. keep less distance) after the implementation of more stringent COVID-19-related regulations (quarantine obligation and face mask duty) between the two measurement periods of this study. They also extended the Peltzman model by hypothesizing moderating roles of age, gender, and perceived COVID-19 threat. Results of the longitudinal survey study (N = 989, T1: 26 March – 31 March 2020 and T2: 27 April – 4 May 2020) confirm that people indeed complied less with safety recommendations over time associated with strengthened COVID-19-related regulations. Perceived COVID-19 threat to those in a person's surroundings (e.g. family, neighbors) had a positive impact on compliance, but age and gender had no effect. This extends the literature on the Peltzman effect by adding perceived COVID-19 threat as a new relevant construct, enabling the development of more effective safety preventions in the future.

The Place of Human Resource Management in Lagos State Healthcare Delivery: A Statistical Overview

Background: Behind every great system is an organized team; this is especially true in the healthcare industry, where a dedicated human resources team can effectively recruit employees, train staff, and implement safety measures in the workplace. The importance of human resources in the healthcare industry cannot be overstated, with benefits ranging from providing an orderly and effectively run facility to equipping staff with the most accurate and up-to-date training. Proper human resources management is critical in providing high-quality health care. A refocus on human resources management in healthcare requires more research to develop new policies. Effective human resources management strategies are greatly needed to achieve better outcomes and access to health care worldwide. Methods: This study leveraged NOI Polls census data on Health Facility Assessment for Lagos State. One thousand two hundred fifty-six health care facilities were assessed in Lagos State; numbers of Health workers were documented alongside their area of specialization. Also, demographic characterizations of the facilities, such as LGA, Ownership type, Facility Level Care, and Category of the facility, were also documented. Descriptive statistics alongside cross tabulation was done to present the various area of specialization of the health workers. Multiple response analysis was done to understand the distribution of human resources across the health facilities. At the same time, Chi-square and correlation tests were conducted to test the independence of various categories recorded while understanding the relationships among selected specialties. Results: The study revealed that Nurses were the most common health specialist in the Lagos State health facilities. At the same time, Gynecologists and General surgeons are the two medical specialists mostly common in health facilities. Midwives are the second most common health specialist working full time, while Generalist medical doctors make up the top three health specialists working full time. Nurses and Midwives had the highest number in Lagos State, while Pulmonologists were currently the lowest human resource available in Lagos State health care system. It was also noted that health facility distribution across Lagos’s urban and rural areas was even. In contrast, distribution based on other factors such as ownership type, Facility level of care, and facility category was slightly skewed. Conclusion: The distribution of health workers in health facility across LGA in Lagos State depend on Ownership type, Facility level of care, and category of the facility.

Design and Progress of Child Health Assessments at Community Support Centers in the Birth and Three-Generation Cohort Study of the Tohoku Medical Megabank Project.

The Tohoku Medical Megabank Project (TMM) has been conducting a birth and three-generation cohort study (the BirThree Cohort Study). We recruited 73,529 pregnant women and their family members for this cohort study, which included 23,143 newborns and 9,459 of their siblings. We designed and are in the process of conducting three-step health assessments for each newborn at approximately ages of 5, 10 and 16. These health assessments are administered at seven community support centers. Trained genome medical research coordinators conduct physical examinations of and collect biological specimens from each participant. The Sendai Children's Health Square has been established as the headquarters for these child health assessments and is utilized to accumulate knowledge that can facilitate the proper practice of child health assessments. We designed all the relevant health assessments facilities to allow parents and their children to participate in the health assessments concomitantly. Our centers serve as places where child participants and their parents can feel at ease as a result of the implementation of safety measures and child hospitality measures. The TMM BirThree Cohort Study is in the process of conducting strategically detailed health assessments and genome analysis, which can facilitate studies concerning the gene-environment interactions relevant to noncommunicable diseases. Through these operations, our study allows for a significant depth of data to be collected in terms of the number of biospecimens under study and the comprehensiveness of both basic and clinical data alongside relevant family information.

Incidence of Urinary Tract Infection Among Patients: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Healthcare-associated infection is one of the most common and severe threats to patients' health and remains a significant challenge for healthcare providers. Among healthcare-associated infections, urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common infections. This study aimed to determine the global incidence of UTI among patients. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guideline was used to perform this systematic review and meta-analysis. The articles were searched from April 4 to August 5, 2022, from electronic databases (Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, DOAJ, and MedNar) using Boolean logic operators, MeSH terms, and keywords. The quality of the study was assessed using the JBI Critical Assessment tool. One thousand nine ninety three articles were retrieved from the electronic databases, of which 38 articles conducted on 981 221 patients were included in the current study. The study found the global pooled incidence of UTI accounted for 1.6%. Based on the subgroup analysis by survey period and WHO region, the highest incidence of UTI was reported in the African Region [3.6%] and among studies conducted between 1996 and 2001 [3.7%]. This study revealed the overall pooled incidence of UTI was 1.6%. The highest incidence of UTI (3.6%) was reported in the African region. This indicates that there is a need to implement safety measures.

Global Incidence of Surgical Site Infection Among Patients: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Healthcare-associated infections pose one of the most severe threats to patients' health and remain a major challenge for healthcare providers globally. Among healthcare-associated infections, surgical site infection is one of the most commonly reported infections. It remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality across the world. The aim of this study was to provide a pooled incidence of surgical site infection among patients on a regional and global scale. This study was conducted under the PRISMA guidelines developed for systematic review and meta-analysis. The studies were searched using electronic databases (SCOPUS, PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Google Scholar, DOAJ, and MedNar) from June 1st, 2022 to August 4th, 2022, using Boolean logic operators (AND, OR, and NOT), Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), and keywords. The quality of the study was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Assessment tool to determine the relevance of each included article to the study. A comprehensive meta-analysis version 3 was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of surgical site infections among the patients. A total of 2124 articles were retrieved from the included electronic databases. Finally, after applying inclusion criteria, 43 articles conducted in 39 countries were included in the current study. The global pooled incidence of SSI was found to be 2.5% (95% CI: 1.6, 3.7). Based on the subgroup analysis by WHO region and survey period, the incidence of SSI was 2.7% (95% CI: 2.2, 3.3%) and 2.5% (95% CI: 1.8, 3.5%), respectively. The highest incidence was reported in the African Region (7.2% [95% CI: 4.3, 11.8%]) and among studies conducted between 1996 and 2001 (2.9% [95% CI: 0.9%, 8.8%]). This study revealed that the overall pooled incidence of SSI was 2.5%. SSI estimates varied among the WHO regions of the world. However, the highest incidence (2.7%) was observed in the African region. This indicates that there is a need to implement safety measures, including interventions for SSI prevention to reduce SSI and improve patient safety.

A MANAGEMENT DECISION-MAKING ALGORITHM FOR PLANNING ACTIVITIES TO REDUCE THE PRODUCTION RISK LEVEL

It is important to minimize the negative consequences of exposure to hazardous and harmful production factors that constitute a danger to the health of workers, through the introduction of effective technical and organizational measures and personal protective equipment. The aim of the article is to develop a sequence of implementation of safety measures to reduce the risk of occupational diseases among employees of nuclear power plants in Ukraine. The research methodology is based on the analysis of the peculiarities of working conditions, the determination of dangerous and harmful production factors and the choice of an optimization model of support systems in decision making. Statistical data and research findings have confirmed that the poor health and safety of workers is due to inefficiency of available occupational safety management methods, limited implementation of the latest technical and economic arrangements, imperfect methods of limiting the impact of hazardous and harmful production factors, and insufficient funding for such activities. In the general case, the implementation of management methods that provide the safety of life and health of workers and ensure risks are kept at a reasonably low level is to choose the optimal set of technical and organizational arrangements, determine the sequence of their introduction, to control their implementation and evaluation of their results. The article proposes a method of discrete step-by-step optimization of the sequence of implementation of security arrangements. The method involves setting of the most important criterion and a number of limitations. The method modified to the requirements of the set tasks is aimed at choosing the optimal within the framework of the general annual financing of technical and organizational arrangements and means of individual protection of employees and reducing the levels of risk in individual workplaces.

Random forest models for motorcycle accident prediction using naturalistic driving based big data

Motorcycle accident studies usually rely upon data collected from road accidents collected through questionnaire surveys/police reports including characteristics of motorcycle riders and contextual data such as road environment. The present study utilizes big data, in the form of vehicle trajectory patterns collected through GPS, coupled with self-reported road accident information along with motorcycle rider characteristics to predict the likelihood of involvement of a motorcyclist in an accident. Random Forest-based machine learning algorithm is employed by taking inputs based on a variety of features derived from trajectory data. These features are mobility-based features, acceleration event-based features, aggressive overtaking event-based features and motorcyclists socio-economic features. Additionally, the relative importance of features is also determined which shows that aggressive overtaking event-based features have more impact on motorcycle accidents as compared to other categories of features. The developed model is useful in identifying risky motorcyclists and implementing safety measures focused towards them.

The Impact of the Implementation of Safety Measures on Frontline Workers’ Safety Accountability: A Saudi Arabian Case Study of a Well Intervention Business Model

Even in the best-case scenarios, working in the energy sector is tough because of the numerous possible risks that can arise during routine tasks. Therefore, the top priority of firms’ management is their responsibilities for their employees’ safety as they undertake various roles. In this study, the researchers investigated the effect of safety measures on the safety accountability (SA) of the Saudi Arabian Aramco Company’s frontline workers. The researchers used a quantitative approach and collected data through a survey questionnaire. We applied a random sampling technique to target the company’s frontline workers. Initially, the researchers distributed 450 questionnaires and received back 242 valid samples. This represented a 53% response rate. Next, the researchers applied Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to assess the directions of the hypothesized paths. This study’s findings demonstrate that safety policy (SP), safety training (ST), safety communication (SC), safety commitment (SCT) and safety incentives (SIs) have positive and significant effects on frontline workers’ safety accountability (SA). In addition, this study’s findings provide guidelines to policy makers, government authorities and company heads to implement further initiatives that adopt precautionary and safety measures to protect their frontline workers’ lives. Further, this study’s findings show the benefits of opening avenues of research to concentrate on safety measures such SP, ST, SC, SCT and SIs in order to create the frontline workers’ responsibilities for safety accountability (SA). Finally, the empirical evidence, which the researchers obtained from the Aramco Company’s frontline workers, adds to the depth of knowledge on this subject; validates the environmental science and management literature; and provides road maps for other companies to investigate safety challenges

Analysis of influence of air-entry values to unsaturated soil properties

Soil slope instability is a grave concern in regions with high annual precipitation, especially in tropical countries. The impact of soil instability on the economies of these countries is severe since it usually causes fatalities and property loss. The research and development of the systems to reduce the impact of soil slope failures by predicting slope failure, monitoring the slope, and early failure warning has made it possible to implement safety measures. Despite the considerable effort to implement these measures, the factors contributing to soil slope instability are complex and have not been explored extensively. The air-entry value (AEV), which is the matric suction, is a critical factor in predicting the risk of slope instability. This paper will analyze the interaction of the basic soil properties and the soil hydraulic properties, also known as AEV. The researchers collected natural undisturbed soil samples from several locations to determine their AEVs which obtained by plate pressure extractor apparatus. The basic soil properties, namely the natural moisture content, particle size distribution and bulk density were determined in the laboratory, and the values were used to determine the correlation between the basic soil properties and the soil AEV. The results show that the soil with higher coefficient of curvature and percentage of sand have lower air-entry values, which mean they could experience disastrous slope failure during heavy rainfalls. This strong correlation underscores the significance of soil hydraulic properties as the critical factor in soil slope instability.

Prevalence of Facial Injuries in Pediatric Population: A Cross Sectional Study from Pakistan

Background: Road traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for children in Pakistan. This is particularly true in the country of Pakistan (RTA). Implementing safety measures such as car seats, limiting the ages of drivers in the family, and prohibiting children from riding bikes and driving cars can help prevent childhood accidents or minimise the severity of those injuries that do occur. It is difficult to appreciate the entire severity of the problem since there is a paucity of published research on the epidemiology of face injuries in children. This makes it difficult to invest in programmes that prevent injuries that are detrimental to the public's health. Objective: To provide a description of the epidemiology of face injuries sustained by children who were hospitalized to the hospital as a result of RTA. Duration of Study: March 2019 to March 2020 Place of Study: Allama iqbal memorial teaching hospital Khawaja Muhammad Safdar medical college Design: Cross Sectional Patients and Methods: We gathered information on all patients younger than 16 years old who were admitted to the hospital as a result of RTA between the years 2019 and 2020. The patients were all younger than 16 years old. Comparisons were done across a broad spectrum of characteristics, such as the presence or absence of Facial Injuries and age groups, amongst others. Main Outcome Measures: facial injuries. Sample Size: 220 patients. Result: As a result of their injuries, 74 (34%) of the population that was affected suffered from some form of brain impairment, and 78 (35.6%) suffered from some form of face injury. There were thirteen children (9.1% of the total population) operating the vehicle when it was involved in the accident. It was discovered that 53.8% of the children were not wearing any kind of seatbelt or other kid safety gear while they were riding in the back seats of the car and they were under age while riding a bike. Conclusion: It should not come as a surprise that facial injuries are so prevalent in our society today. In addition, the study found that teenage driving is more prevalent than was previously believed, which calls for ongoing monitoring as well as the development of suitable treatments. Increased documentation of the use of restraints and stronger enforcement of safety laws by police can both play a substantial role in reducing the number of injuries that are associated with the use of restraints. The findings of the study highlight the necessity of combination seating or rear seating in addition to restraints that are appropriate for the child's age in order to reduce the likelihood that youngsters would sustain injuries to their heads or faces.

Comparison of COVID-19 Pandemic Waves in 10 Countries in Southern Africa, 2020-2021.

We used publicly available data to describe epidemiology, genomic surveillance, and public health and social measures from the first 3 COVID-19 pandemic waves in southern Africa during April 6, 2020-September 19, 2021. South Africa detected regional waves on average 7.2 weeks before other countries. Average testing volume 244 tests/million/day) increased across waves and was highest in upper-middle-income countries. Across the 3 waves, average reported regional incidence increased (17.4, 51.9, 123.3 cases/1 million population/day), as did positivity of diagnostic tests (8.8%, 12.2%, 14.5%); mortality (0.3, 1.5, 2.7 deaths/1 million populaiton/day); and case-fatality ratios (1.9%, 2.1%, 2.5%). Beta variant (B.1.351) drove the second wave and Delta (B.1.617.2) the third. Stringent implementation of safety measures declined across waves. As of September 19, 2021, completed vaccination coverage remained low (8.1% of total population). Our findings highlight opportunities for strengthening surveillance, health systems, and access to realistically available therapeutics, and scaling up risk-based vaccination.

Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of In Vivo and In Vitro SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Lesson from Human Sperm.

Despite the major target of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19, being the respiratory system, clinical evidence suggests that the male reproductive system may represent another viral target organ. Revealing the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on testis and sperm is a priority for reproductive biology, as well as for reproductive medicine. Here, we confirmed that the SARS-CoV-2 receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is highly expressed on human testis and ejaculated sperm; moreover, we provide evidence for the expression of the co-receptors transmembrane protease/serine (TMPRSS2), Basigin (BSG), and Catepsin L (CTSL). Human sperm were readily infected, both in vivo and in vitro, by SARS-CoV-2, as demonstrated by confocal and electron microscopy. The demonstration that the seminiferous epithelium and sperm support SARS-CoV-2 viral replication suggests the possibility that the spermatogenetic process may be detrimentally affected by the virus, and at the same time, supports the need to implement safety measures and guidelines to ensure specific care in reproductive medicine.

Assessment and mapping of total suspended particulate and soil quality around brick kilns and occupational health issues among brick kilns workers in Pakistan.

Brick kilns constitute one of the major sources of environmental degradation in Pakistan. The present study was conducted to determine the soil quality and total suspended particulates (TSPs) around the brick kilns and assess the health effects on brick kiln workers. Four brick kilns were selected, two each at Sheikhupura and Pattoki city. The soil quality was assessed by analyzing pH, electrical conductivity, moisture content, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium content, and heavy metal concentration while TSPs were measured by hand-held Microdust Pro Real time monitor. Average TSP concentration around brick kilns at Sheikhupura and Pattoki ranged between 1100 and 1200µg/m3 and between 550 and 600µg/m3 respectively which exceeded the Punjab Ambient Air Standards. The soil was slightly acidic (Sheikhupura: average pH = 6.41; Pattoki: average pH = 6.6) while all other analyzed parameters, except heavy metals, were lower than the required FAO Standards for good quality agriculture soil. Heavy metal accumulation in soil samples followed the general order zinc (Zn) > chromium (Cr) > nickel (Ni) > manganese (Mn) > cadmium (Cd) > copper (Cu). For assessment of occupational health and safety issues, all 440 brick kiln workers from the study areas were interviewed. Mostly, brick kiln workers suffered from chronic back pain (84%), skin issues (80.5%), dry cough (72.9%), common cold (46.1%), and shortness of breath (17.1%). The vulnerability risk varied with the nature of the work as workers engaged in brick baking were more vulnerable to respiratory issues than were those in molding task. The study concludes that brick kilns are a source of increased TSP, deteriorated surrounding soil quality, and impaired worker health. It is necessary to regulate these activities and implement requisite health and safety measures.

Impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on delivery of and models for supportive and palliative care for oncology patients.

Purpose of reviewSupportive and palliative care services have been an important component of the overall COVID-19 pandemic response. However, significant changes in the provision and models of care were needed in order to optimize the care delivered to vulnerable cancer patients. This review discusses the evolution of palliative and supportive care service in response to the pandemic, and highlights remaining challenges.Recent findingsDirect competition for resources, as well as widespread implementation of safety measures resulted in major shifts in the mode of assessment and communication with cancer patients by supportive care teams. Telemedicine/virtual consultation and follow-up visits became an integral strategy, with high uptake and satisfaction amongst patients, families and providers. However, inequities in access to the required technologies were sometimes exposed. Hospice/palliative care unit (PCU) bed occupancy declined markedly because of restrictive visitation policies. Collection of patient-reported outcome (PRO) data was suspended in many cancer centers, with resulting under-recognition of anxiety and depression in ambulatory patients. As in many other areas, disparities in delivery of supportive and palliative care were magnified by the pandemic.SummaryVirtual care platforms have been widely adopted and will continue to be used to include a wider circle of family/friends and care providers in the provision of palliative and supportive care. To facilitate equitable delivery of supportive care within a pandemic, further research and resources are needed to train and support generalists and palliative care providers. Strategies to successfully collect PROs from all patients in a virtual manner must be developed and implemented.

Covid-19 air travel: do intervention measures influence intent?

Similar to the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2002, safety measures in air travel are placed to combat the spread of COVID-19. With developing countries, like the Philippines, lagging behind post-pandemic aviation recovery, just how influential are these intervention measures in bringing back travellers to the skies? This research measured the passengers’ intent to return to air travel and analyzed the respondents’ assessment of the implementation of safety measures in air travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. The correlation of both variables was explored using Pearson Correlation Coefficient. The data were from a self-administered survey questionnaire disseminated to air travellers to and from Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA), Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results show that the safety protocols were far from being exceptionally implemented. The study further revealed the respondents’ uncertainty on returning to air travel due to the COVID-19 crisis regardless of the safety measures in place. Even with the high uncertainty, however, the respondents’ assessment of the implementation of protocols was found to be highly associated with the respondents’ intention to return to air travel. The pre-departure safety protocols had the highest association compared to in-flight and arrival protocols.

Nurses’ knowledge, perceptions, and behaviors regarding antineoplastic drugs: the mediating role of protective knowledge†

Abstract Objective To explore the relationships between Chinese nurses’ knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes and their behavior and actual implementation of safety measures when handling antineoplastic drugs (ADs) in their daily work. Methods This was a multisite study conducted in 8 public hospitals in China. A self-administered questionnaire was sent to participants querying the degree of contact with ADs. The hypothesized relations were explored using structural equation modelling via the bootstrap method. Mediation analysis was applied to explore the mediating role of protective knowledge regarding AD exposure on the associations among protective training, using warning labels, and using protective masks. Results A total of 305 nurses were enrolled. The average age of all participants was 30.2 (standard deviation [SD]: 6.2) years. Nurses who had received protective training for AD exposure were more likely to use labels for ADs after age, body mass index (BMI), length of service, marital status, education, and department were controlled as covariates. The bias-corrected bootstrap of 95% confidence interval (CI) indicated that protective knowledge significantly mediated (23.4%) the association between protective training and using labels (indirect effect = 0.202, 95% CI: 0.009, 0.495); the proportion of mediation was 23.4%. Protective knowledge significantly mediated the association between protective training and using protective masks (indirect effect = 0.157, 95% CI: 0.048, 0.325); the proportion of mediation was 27.2%. Conclusions The findings of this study have provided baseline information on the current state of Chinese nurses’ perceptions, knowledge, and preventive behaviors toward ADs as the crisis is happening. Training is also recommended to improve nurses’ perceptions of the risks associated with ADs.

A Framework for Fire Safety Management in School Facilities

Schools are high-risk type of facilities in fire emergencies. This requires the implementation of safety measures, which comprise administrative and operational efforts to mitigate the occurrence of fire accidents. The review of literature indicated the lack of practical approaches that can be easily adopted for safety management in school facilities. This paper presents the development and implementation of a generic framework for fire safety management in school facilities. A literature review in the domain of fire safety in schools was performed to comprehend various knowledge areas in this context. A generic framework for fire safety management in school facilities was developed. The framework was implemented in a secondary school, located in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, as a case study, to illustrate its applicability. An action plan was developed to improve the level of fire safety in the school facility, under review. The findings indicated that the framework provides a methodological and systematic approach for assessing the level of fire safety in schools, as well as determine the possible actions for improving the overall safety condition in such facilities. The paper provides a useful focus for practitioners and researchers concerned with fire safety in the educational workplace.

COVID-19 Positivity Following an In-Person Surgical Society Meeting: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

IntroductionMany surgical societies have recently resumed in-person meetings after canceling or adopting virtual formats during the COVID-19 pandemic. These meetings implemented safety measures to limit viral exposure and ensure participant safety. While there have been anecdotal reports of COVID-19 cases after attendance, no large-scale assessments have been undertaken. The objective of this study was to evaluate COVID-19 positivity following an in-person surgical society meeting. MethodsAn online survey was administered to participants of the Society for Asian Academic Surgeons annual meeting, which was held in Chicago, Illinois in September 2021. This survey assessed vaccination status, in-person versus virtual conference attendance, and COVID-19 testing and symptoms in the 7 d immediately following the meeting. ResultsAmong the 220 meeting participants, 173 attended in person (79%). There were 91 survey respondents (41% response rate): 67% attending physicians, 27% trainees, and 6% medical students. Nearly, all (99%) reported being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. COVID-19 testing was sought within 7 d of the meeting by 15% of in-person respondents, and all reported negative results. Among individuals who were not tested, no one reported development of symptoms (cough, shortness of breath, fever, new loss of taste/smell, etc.). ConclusionsAmong in-person attendees of a recent surgical society meeting, no one reported positive COVID-19 testing after the meeting, and individuals who were not tested denied developing symptoms. While these results are encouraging, societies hosting meetings should continue to proactively assess the safety of in-person meetings to promptly identify outbreaks and opportunities for improvement.

Clinic Design for Safety During the Pandemic: Safety or Teamwork, Can We Only Pick One?

This article aims to illustrate the design considerations of team-based primary care clinics in response to the pandemic. Due to COVID-19, physical distancing became a critical practice in our daily life, especially in healthcare settings where healthcare professionals must continue providing care to patients despite the manifold risks. Many healthcare facilities are implementing physical distancing in their clinic layouts, and healthcare professionals are adjusting their behaviors, so they can stay away from each other. A total of four team-based primary care clinics were studied to identify their lessons learned regarding safety measures and space usage during the pandemic. The four team-based primary care clinics made changes to the clinic design (e.g., waiting areas, exam rooms, team workspaces), operational protocols (e.g., in-person huddles, social gatherings, staff work locations), and usage of spaces (e.g., outdoor spaces, utility rooms). Such changes enabled the implementation of safety measures during the pandemic. However, healthcare professionals also reported challenges regarding their team communication and coordination due to physical distancing and separation. Our findings suggest that the physical distancing may in fact contribute to less effective teamwork and patient care and negatively affect staff well-being. In this article, we ask healthcare system leaders and designers to continue supporting both safety and teamwork by paying attention to the flexibility and spatial relationships among healthcare professionals rather than fully sacrificing teamwork for safety. Also, now is the time when multidisciplinary collaborations are needed to establish and validate guidelines that can improve both factors.