Infected Healthcare Workers Research Articles

Health Workers' Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Resilience During COVID-19 Pandemic.

Research indicates that a significant number of healthcare workers accounted for all confirmed Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, and many of the infected healthcare workers were asymptomatic. During the COVID-19 outbreak, a considerable number of people in Taiwan contracted the disease. Therefore, health workers in Taiwan often experienced lack of medical resources, and this problem is worse for outer island areas. In terms of stress and mental health, this study investigated the effect of poor healthcare capacity and high workload on health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study also explored mindfulness-based stress reduction and resilience in health workers. This study conducted an in-depth interview to investigate stress perceived by health workers in a hospital located on an outer island of Taiwan as well as their mental health and stress relieving strategies. It was found that during the COVID-19 outbreak, some common sources of stress for health workers included exposure to infectious diseases, heavy workloads, facing ethical dilemma in clinical decision-making, and unfamiliar problems from the pandemic. These types of stress cause worries, anxiety, and depression in health workers, which affects their mental and physical health as well as their patient-care performance. This study proposed that mindfulness-based stress reduction and protecting mental health are important for health workers.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Covid-19 Infection and Mortality Among Frontline Healthcare Workers in Kaduna State

This study in Kaduna State, Nigeria, examined the prevalence, and factors as associated with COVID-19 infection and mortality among frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) in a descriptive, cross- sectional study, where data of HCWs from secondary source, Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System (SORMAS), was exported to Microsoft excel and evaluated using SPSS version 26 to provide a snapshot of the vaccine uptake among HCWs in Kaduna state. The study population were all healthcare workers in Kaduna State, Nigeria that were tested for COVID-19 from the onset of the pandemic in Kaduna to 29th August 2022. The consents of all persons were obtained prior to testing data upload to the electronic platform of SORMAS. Prevalence of COVID-19 infection was notably higher pre-vaccination (12%) but dropped to 5.9% post-vaccination, showcasing the vaccine’s effectiveness in reducing HCW infections. However, COVID-19-related mortality rates remained relatively consistent, irrespective of vaccination status. Demographics played a role in infection risk. Female HCWs, urban dwellers, and those with higher education levels faced elevated infection risks. Additionally, close contacts with probable COVID-19 cases increased infection likelihood. Concerning mortality, males experienced more COVID-19-related deaths, but no significant links were found with age, residential area, or contact history. Symptoms significantly associated with COVID-19 infection included fever, abdominal pain, cough, sore throat, loss of taste, and loss of smell. The prevalence of COVID-19 infection among the HCWs was higher before the COVID-19 vaccination was introduced (12%) compared to after the vaccine was introduced in Kaduna State. These findings offer valuable insights into the pandemic’s impact on frontline workers in Nigeria’s Kaduna State. Keywords: COVID-19, Healthcare workers (HCWs), Infection, Vaccination, Mortality, Prevalence, Risk factors, Symptoms, mental, Psychological.

ENT Symptoms in Post-COVID Infection of Health Care Workers at Venerable Thawisak Jutindharo Hospital

Objective: To determine the incidence, duration, and factors associated with ENT symptoms according to COVID-19 among healthcare workers at Venerable Thawisak Jutindharo Hospital. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on the healthcare workers whose PCR and ATK nasopharyngeal swabs were positive for COVID-19. All patients were employed at Venerable Thawisak Jutindharo Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, between January 1 and October 31, 2022. Demographic data and clinical manifestations were collected. Descriptive statistics were performed, followed by Chi-square and multiple logistic regressions to determine associated factors for ENT symptoms according to COVID-19. Results: Two hundred and ten cases were included. Most of them were females with 167 cases (79.5%). Cough was the most common presenting symptom at 81.8%. After acute phase, 147 cases (70%) of post-COVID-19 ENT symptoms were reported. Subgroup analysis was conducted based on symptomatology and showed laryngological symptoms in 63.8%, followed by rhinological symptoms in 25.7%, and otological symptoms in 6.6%. Most symptoms were recovered within four weeks after the infection. Some lasted more than twelve weeks, such as cough in seven cases, sore throat in two cases, and rhinorrhea in one case. The patients recovered from all symptoms by week 13. The risk associated with increasing post-COVID-19 ENT symptoms was age. Age less than fifty years had a significantly higher risk of post-COVID-19 ENT symptoms than age greater than fifty years (adjusted OR 2.33, 95% CI 1.08 to 5.00). Conclusion: Cough was the most common ENT symptom in early and post-COVID infection period. Most cases recovered within four weeks after infection. Age was the key factor that causes ENT symptoms in COVID-19. Antiviral drug, severity of COVID infection, and other factors do not result in post-COVID ENT symptom. Keywords: Post-COVID infection; Post-COVID ENT symptom; Healthcare worker

SARS-CoV-2 infection in health care workers during the first 2-years of the pandemic at a cancer hospital in Mexico

Health care workers (HCWs) are occupationally exposed to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). This study aimed to characterize COVID-19 in HCWs at an oncology hospital in Mexico City over 2-years, identify factors associated with severity, and establish transmission dynamics. This retrospective study included HCWs with confirmed COVID-19. Socio-demographic, clinical, and outcome data were retrieved from March 2020 to March 2022. We compared the proportion of HCWs affected in each wave. A survey on COVID-19 transmission dynamics was conducted in a subgroup. We included 1,058 workers. The risk of COVID-19 was higher during the Omicron odds ratio (OR 2.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.77-2.50, P<.001). Age ≥41 years old (OR 6.32, 95% CI 2.4-16.62) and being administrative staff (OR 5.51, 95% CI 1.72-17.6) or medical staff (OR 6.82, CI 95% 1.77-26.23), compared to nursing staff, were associated with severity. Vaccination with ≥1 vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 was a protective factor for severe disease (OR 0.04, 95% CI 0.005-0.331). This study highlights the impact of COVID-19 on HCWs in a cancer hospital in Mexico City and the impact of vaccination as a protective factor against severity.

Insufficient anti-spike RBD IgA responses after triple vaccination with intramuscular mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine against SARS-CoV-2

ObjectivesThis study aims to examine whether the parenterally administered mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines can induce sufficient mucosal-type IgA responses to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission. MethodsWe examined the longitudinal kinetics of SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD-specific IgA and IgG responses in sera of Japanese healthcare workers (HCWs) after receiving two doses and the third dose of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccines. During the prospective cohort study, Omicron breakthrough infections occurred in 62 participants among 370 HCWs who had received triple doses of the vaccine. Pre-breakthrough sera of infected HCWs and non-infected HCWs were examined for the levels of anti-RBD IgA and IgG titers. ResultsThe seropositivity of anti-RBD IgA at 1 M after the second vaccine (2D-1M) and after the third dose (3D-1M) was 65.4% and 87.4%, respectively, and wanes quickly. The boosting effect on anti-RBD Ab titers following breakthrough infections was more notable for anti-RBD IgA than for IgG. There were partial cause-relationships between the lower anti-RBD IgA or IgG at pre-breakthrough sera and the breakthrough infection. ConclusionsParenterally administered COVID-19 vaccines do not generate sufficient mucosal-type IgA responses despite strong systemic IgG responses to SARS-CoV-2. These results demonstrate the necessity and importance of reevaluating vaccine design and scheduling to efficiently increase oral or respiratory mucosal immunity against SARS-CoV-2.

Determining the Prevalence of Nosocomial Infections in Lordegan Shohada Hospital, 21 March 2017 to 19 March 2020

Background and Objectives: Currently, Nosocomial Infections (NIs) or Health Care Worker Infections (HCWIs) have become one of the important health issues in many countries of the world, including Iran. This study was conducted to determine Prevalence of NIs in Shahada Lordegan Hospital from March 21, 2017 to March 19, 2020. Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, the files of 45,830 patients who were at risk of NIs (cases that were hospitalized for at least 48 hours) were examined and cases of NIs were diagnosed based on references (definitions of the US Center for Communicable Disease Control and the surveillance system NIs of this type of infections) and the case finding form of NIs and then registered in the hospital infection care system. All stages of data analysis were performed in the hospital infection care system software version 2-2-4. Results: The overall incidence of NIs was equal to 0.6%, the incidence in men was 54.9% and in women 45.1%. The most common type of NIs in this center was surgical site infection (SSI) (0.2%), non-ventilation- associated pneumonia (0.17%) and ventilation-Associated (VAE) event (0.16%), and there are the highest rate of infections a hospital in intensive care. Conclusions NIs are a major problem for patients hospitalized in the ICU in In this center. Furthermore, according to this review and other studies conducted in Iran, It seems that the rate or NIs in is much fewer than Global rate of NIs, and the probably irrational use of antibiotics and as a result hinding these types of infections as well as underreporting are important factors of this problem.

The Epidemiological Analysis of COVID-19 Outbreaks in Nursing Homes during the Period of Omicron Variant Predominance

Background: The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the epidemic trend and risk factors associated with COVID-19 outbreaks in nursing homes during the period of Omicron variant predominance. Methods: The study analyzed the risk factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and death among the 327 residents and 129 healthcare workers (HCWs) in three hospital-affiliated nursing homes through a multivariate Cox regression model. Results: The rates of receiving a COVID-19 booster dose were 70.3% for the residents and 93.0% for the healthcare workers (HCWs), respectively. A number of asymptomatic individuals, including 54 (16.5%) residents and 15 (11.6%) HCWs, were detected through mass screening surveillance tests. The COVID-19 infection rates during the outbreaks were 41.6% among residents and 48.1% among HCWs, respectively. The case fatality rate among residents was 10.3%. None of the HCWs were hospitalized or died. The multivariate Cox regression model showed that the risk of COVID-19 infection increased in males (HR 2.46; 95% CI 1.47–4.11; p = 0.001), Barthel index ≥ 61 (HR 1.93; 95% CI 1.18–3.17; p = 0.009), and dementia (HR 1.61; 95% CI 1.14–2.27; p = 0.007). The risk of COVID-19 death increased with pneumonia (HR 11.03; 95% CI 3.02–40.31; p &lt; 0.001), hospitalization (HR 7.18; 95% CI 1.97–26.25; p = 0.003), and admission to an intensive care unit (HR 8.67; 95% CI 2.79–26.89; p &lt; 0.001). Conclusions: This study highlighted the high infection rates with a substantial proportion of asymptomatic infections for both residents and HCWs, as well as a high case fatality rate for the residents among nursing homes during the Omicron epidemic period. We suggest implementing mass screening through regular surveillance testing as an effective strategy for early detection of COVID-19 and for preventing transmission during an epidemic period. Pneumonia is the primary risk associated with COVID-19 death. Early detection and prompt treatment of pneumonia for vulnerable residents in nursing homes are crucial to protect them from potential mortality.

COVID-19 Vaccination Uptake and Its Effect on Morbidity and Mortality among Frontline Healthcare Workers in Kaduna State, Nigeria

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed tremendous burdens on healthcare workers (HCWs), accounting for over 1.4 million HCW infections and 10% of global fatalities. HCWs faced elevated infection risk, psychological distress, long working hours, fatigue, stigma, and violence. While vaccines are pivotal in reducing severe illness, HCW vaccine hesitancy, given their role as advocates, jeopardizes vaccination coverage global goals and healthcare systems. Addressing this vaccine uptake is imperative through education, transparent communication, and support to safeguard HCWs’ safety and pandemic containment. This study assessed COVID-19 vaccination uptake among frontline HCWs in Kaduna State, Nigeria, and its impact on morbidity and mortality. Utilizing a descriptive cross-sectional approach, we analyzed secondary data from the Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System (SORMAS). The study encompassed HCWs in Kaduna State, excluding pregnant and lactating individuals, following national guidelines. Among 8095 HCWs tested for COVID-19, most were aged 31-40 years (35%), female (60.2%), and urban residents (70.3%). COVID-19 vaccination uptake was low at 17.4%, with 82.6% unvaccinated. COVID-19 infection was significantly associated with vaccination (p = 0.039). Although unvaccinated participants exhibited a higher mortality rate (60%) than vaccinated ones (40%), this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.209). In conclusion, this study unveiled insufficient vaccination uptake among HCWs, potentially impeding pandemic response. While vaccination seemed to positively impact disease outcomes, it didn’t significantly affect the infection risk. Addressing HCW vaccine hesitancy remains critical for achieving immunization goals and ensuring healthcare system safety. Keywords: Covid-19, Vaccines, Vaccination uptake, Healthcare workers (HCW), Infection.

COVID-19 vaccine and test data management – practice report from a university hospital

Abstract Issue The COVID-19 pandemic generated the urgency for creating and implementing new tools, specifically for data collection, sharing. The data governance of healthcare workers (HCW) was layered on top of pre-existing digitalisation issues in health authorities as well as in health facilities. Description of the problem The vaccination act for the German healthcare sector adopted in December 2021, established the compulsory report of HCWs’ COVID-19 vaccination status. The LMU University Hospital management required an overview of the COVID-19 status (illness, isolation, vaccination, infection) of HCWs in order to ensure continuous clinical service. For the timely and accurate report, it was necessary to create a centralised real-time overview of data that were collected and managed by decentralised structures. Results We connected five in-hospital systems into one platform that was being synced three times a day. For each HCW, we created a dataset with three main categories: core personnel data, COVID-19 status and reason for absence. Two user groups were defined: strategic management (1) and operational management (2), where users of group 2 were only given access to their own unit and were required to update and verify data of their team. Overall, the platform contained data of 14,419 HCWs and had 656 users (Ngroup1 = 16, Ngroup2 = 640). Lessons The data merger revealed issues in interoperability and accuracy and thus expedited data standardisation. The decentralised approach facilitated the operational efficiency, digitalisation, service delivery and managerial empowerment at the hospital. The main challenges pertained to data accuracy and to the continuously changing regulatory requirements as well as privacy protection. As all data were previously hosted on different platforms, an exhaustive process of cleansing was needed prior to merging. Each HCW was assigned to an organisational unit with a respective responsible person in order to achieve data quality. Key messages • Dedicated digital human resources solutions in a university hospital pose a specific challenge for the balance between data privacy, availability and interoperability. • To enable a centralised information display, data must be collected where it originates and made available through short paths. Our solution united decentralised collection and centralised management.

Vaccine Breakthrough Infections Among Healthcare Workers in a COVID-19-Designated Tertiary Care Government Hospital in Sikkim.

Introduction Since the emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) virus at the beginning of 2020, the world has gone through various waves of pandemics. The health care workers (HCWs) or the COVID warriors as they were termed were the first line of defense against the virus. They were armed with personal protective equipment and prophylactic doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Despite these precautions, some of the HCWs still contracted the disease and a few others succumbed to it. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of COVID-19 infections and vaccine breakthrough infections (BTIs) in HCWs after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine during the second wave of the pandemic. Methods This was a cross-sectional, hospital-based study conducted over a period of four months from September 2021 to December 2021 on HCWs aged 18 years and above working at the COVID-19-designated tertiary care government hospital in Sikkim. A structured coded questionnaire with no patient identifiers was used to gather details on demographics, vaccination history, breakthrough infection, and other social details. HCWs who had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the time of initiation of the study and were >18 years of agewere included in this study. Results A total of 678 HCWs were screened, out of which 229 (33%) participants tested positive for COVID-19 and the rest of the participants(455; 67%) tested negative. COVID-19 infections and vaccine BTIs (COVID-19 infection >14 days after the second vaccination) were recorded and 137 (20%) respondents had a post-vaccination COVID-19 infection out of which 115 (18.5%) were BTI. The majority of the participants were females and of the age group of 26-35 years. The correlation of COVID-19 infections with the dose gap between vaccination, gender, age, profession, department, area posted during COVID duty, cycles of duty performed, hospitalization due to infection, influenza vaccination, and comorbidity was analyzed. Conclusion COVID-19 vaccines are disease-modifying and they decreasethe severity ofBTIs in HCWs. Pandemics and outbreaks cannot be predicted; therefore, it becomes very important to have healthy frontline workers who are constantly exposed to infectious agents. Monitoring of health and surveillance of infectious diseases among the HCWs should be encouraged.

Effect of yoga-based exercises on functional capacity, dyspnea, quality of life, depression, anxiety, and sleep of infected healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A prospective clinical trial.

The study aimed to investigate the effect of yoga-based exercises on functional capacity, dyspnea, quality of life, depression, anxiety, and sleep quality following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Forty-one COVID-19-infected healthcare professionals (35 females, 6 males; mean age: 39.7±6.5 years; range, 28 to 55 years) who were actively working during the subacute period were included in the prospective controlled study between March 2021 and September 2021. The participants were divided into two groups: the yoga-based exercise group (YBEG; n=26) and the nonintervention group (n=15). Besides routine recommendations, the YBEG performed stretching, relaxation, isometric strengthening, breathing, and meditation exercises of 60 min twice a week for eight weeks. Clinical outcome was measured with flexibility tests (shoulder flexibility and sit and reach tests), hand grip strength, 6-min walk test, dyspnea score, Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventory, Short Form 36 (SF-36) quality of life, Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) before and after eight weeks in both groups. Beck anxiety scores, IPAQ scores, PSQI, SF-36 pain, and social functioning subparameters were positively statistically significant in the YBEG (p<0.05). The only parameter found to be insignificant in time and between groups was the SF-36 mental health subparameter (p>0.05). In addition, the YBEG had significant improvements in muscle strength, flexibility, functional capacity, physical activity level, quality of life, anxiety, depression levels, and sleep scores between before and after the eight-week intervention period (p<0.05). Yoga programs have led to an increase in functional capacity and physical performance, a decrease in anxiety and depression complaints, and an increase in the quality of life in healthcare professionals who were in the process of returning to work during the post-COVID-19.

A screening strategy to prevent hospital acquired COVID -19 in peak pandemic period

Health care worker (HCW) are at increased risk for Severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARSCoV-2) infection. The study evaluates seroprevalence of SARS CoV-2 IgG antibody among HCW during peak pandemic period and plans a screening strategy for early identification and isolation of HCW. This is the prospective cross sectional study of HCW where High risk and low risk HCW were tested for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies using Architect automated analyser. Out of 264 HCW, 36 (13.6%) HCW were positive for SARS CoV-2 IgG antibodies. Seroprevalence was 14.7% in low risk group while 13.2 % among high risk group. Serosurvey could detect antibody in 47.3% HCW which were either negative by COVID-19 RTPCR or were never tested owing to absence of clinical symptoms.SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody were absent in 39% previously COVID-19 positive HCW. Equal seroprevalence in both the groups of HCW during peak of pandemic is suggestive of community transmission in India and robust infection control policy of hospital. Also, we conclude that there is need of multiprong approach with serial diagnostic screening of COVID infection in health care worker which should include both RTPCR and serological test.

SARS CoV-2 infection among Healthcare Workers from different public health units in Brazil

Understanding COVID-19 exposure differences among Healthcare Workers (HCWs) across various healthcare units is crucial for their protection and effective management of future outbreaks. However, comparative data on COVID-19 among HCWs in different healthcare units are scarce in Brazil. This study evaluated the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 infection and workplaces in HCWs from three distinct healthcare settings in Brazil. It also examined COVID-19 symptom dynamics reported by them. The cohort comprised 464 HCWs vaccinated with two doses of CoronaVac and a BNT162b2 booster from different institutions: Primary Health Care Units (PHCUs), Emergency Care Units (ECUs), and Hospitals. Participants answered a questionnaire and underwent blood collection at various time points after vaccinations. RT-PCR data and post-vaccination antibody responses were utilized as indicators of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We found that most infected HCWs worked in ECUs, where positive RT-PCR percentages were higher compared to PHCUs and Hospitals. ECUs also showed the highest seropositivity and antibody levels, especially after the first CoronaVac dose. The second dose of CoronaVac diminished the differences in the antibody levels among HCWs from ECUS, PHCUs, and Hospitals, indicating the benefit of the second dose to equalize the antibody levels between previously exposed and unexposed persons. Moreover, COVID-19 symptoms appeared to evolve over time.

Healthcare Workers' SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Four Hospital Outbreaks during Delta Variant Prevalence in Sydney, Australia.

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at risk of SARS-CoV-2 infections due to occupational exposure. The use of airborne personal protective equipment (PPE) significantly reduces this risk. In June 2021, an epidemic of the Delta variant began in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Concurrent PPE guidelines, set by the Clinical Excellence Commission (CEC), restricted the use of respirators. To understand the relationship of PPE guidelines with workplace-acquired HCW SARS-CoV-2 infections in different clinical settings and to examine the relationship between rates of community transmission and workplace-acquired HCW infections during the Delta outbreak in NSW. Total SARS-CoV-2 HCW infections between 13 June and 30 October 2021 (first four months of the Delta wave) were estimated from the government COVID-19 surveillance reports and compared with the surveillance reports of community transmission. In the absence of a detailed reporting of HCW infections, open-source data including news articles, media releases, and epidemiological surveillance reports were also collected. Data were extracted on HCW cases of SARS-CoV-2 from four hospitals, including the number of HCW cases (per NSW Health definition), clinical setting, PPE guidelines, and evidence of increasing local transmission. SARS-CoV-2 infections in HCW identified as workplace-acquired infections (n = 177) and those without a known transmission source (n = 532) increased during the period of increasing community transmission (n = 75,014) in NSW. Four hospital COVID-19 clusters affecting 20 HCWs were identified between June and October 2021. HCW clusters occurred in general wards where staff were recommended to wear surgical masks. No workplace-acquired HCW infections were reported in these hospitals from critical care wards, where respirators were recommended during the same outbreak weeks. Differences in PPE policy across different wards may leave healthcare staff at risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. During periods of high community transmission, respirators should be provided to protect hospital staff. Formal reporting of HCW infections should occur.

A descriptive study on the potential transmission of COVID-19 to hospitalized patients from a nursery school affiliated with it

IntroductionDuring the epidemic of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, nosocomial transmissions from healthcare workers (HCWs) to patients occur frequently. The influence of COVID-19 on hospitalized patients from nursing schools affiliated with the hospitals is a concern but it had not been well studied. MethodsWe here describe COVID-19 outbreaks at the nursery school affiliated with an acute-care hospital, during the surges of the Omicron variants on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 children as well as for the patients who were judged to be the close contacts of patients of COVID-19 by contact investigation by PCR testing. ResultsA total of 36 children and five caregivers were diagnosed with COVID-19 during the study period. Of the 206 preschoolers who had close contact with the infected persons, only 16 became positive (7.6%). Secondary transmission from the 36 preschool children to the parents as HCWs occurred in 19 (61%) out of 31 parents. Three hospitalized patients were judged to have unsafe contact with the infected HCWs but this did not result in their infections, making a total of zero transmission from the nursery school to the hospital. ConclusionsChildren at the nursery school are potential reservoirs for nosocomial transmissions at the affiliated hospital, but multiple practical measures might have prevented them to occur.

Quality of Transport Services in Tertiary Public Hospital during COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Early in the COVID-19 outbreak, the government of Bangladesh instituted a transport lockdown and restricted people's movement. The lack of proper transportation services, particularly for healthcare personnel and patients, is a major concern for Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 307 (101 patients and 206 nurses) transport service receivers including patient and health care workers (Nurses) at Khulna Medical College Hospital, Khulna. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire to assess the state of the quality of transport services in tertiary public hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: The result showed that, out of 307 respondents 206 (67.1%) were nurses, and the rest of them 101 (32.9%) were patients and their mean age was 35.07 ± 8.45 and 43.86 ± 14.00 respectively. Here, more than half of the nurses 114 (55.3%) stated that service quality was poor as well as 76 (36.9%) nurses stated that service quality was fair and the rest of the 6 (7.8%) nurses stated that service quality was good respectively. Vice versa more than half of the patients 53 (52.5%) stated that service quality was good as well as (22) 21.8% of patients stated that service quality was fair and the rest of them 26 (25.7%) patients stated that service quality was poor respectively. Conclusions: Hospital transport services play an important role in transporting infectious patients and healthcare workers during the lockdown and other times during the COVID-19 pandemic. Focusing on the safety and quantity of negative pressure transports, the existing experience of Bangladesh in the fight against the pandemic was more highly attacked than in other countries.

Pre-infection antibody levels of vaccinated healthcare workers with SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection: A nested case-control study

AimTo evaluate anti-RBD IgG antibody levels and neutralizing antibody titers between the health care workers (HCWs) with breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection and controls. MethodsIn this nested case-case control study, we followed 548 vaccinated HCWs with homologous (only with inactivated vaccine) or heterologous (both with inactivated and BNT162b2 vaccine) vaccination for 11 months, prospectively. We obtained blood samples from the participants for quantitative anti-RBD IgG and surrogate neutralization test. The participants with SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity (at least 14 days after the last vaccination) were considered breakthrough infection. We chose 1:2 matched controls from the cohort, according to age, sex and vaccination status. We used R version 4.0.2 for the statistical analysis. ResultsSixty-five cases and 130 controls were included in the study. The number of the breakthrough infections in HCWs were correlated with the pandemic waves in Türkiye and peaked during Omicron outbreak. The median age of the cases was 39 and 78.5% were female. The cases had more comorbidities than controls, significantly (p = 0.021). All cases experienced no or mild symptoms and recovered completely. Both pre-infection anti-RBD antibody and neutralizing antibody titers did not differ between cases and matched controls (p = 0.767, p = 0.628). ConclusionIn this study, we showed that there was no comparable difference in humoral response after homologous or heterologous vaccination between the cases of breakthrough infection and matched controls. Compliance with infection control measures should be ensured, in combination with vaccination.

HEALTHCARE WORKERS IN BULGARIA - ARE THEY PROTECTED FROM VACCINE-PREVENTABLE INFECTIONS?

Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at increased risk of exposure to many viral infections, including vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) such as measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) as compared to non-HCWs. Immunity of HCWs against these viruses is mandatory in a healthcare setting due to possible exposure from patients or colleagues. Aim: To provide an assessment of anti-measles, mumps and rubella IgG seropositivity among Bulgarian HCWs employed in hospitals and regional health inspectorates (RHI), as an indicator of protective immunity against MMR in this risk group. Materials and Methods: In the current study, 181 HCWs from Infectious Units in regional hospitals in the country, and HCWs from the RHI, involved in the monitoring and surveillance of MMR cases in Bulgaria were screened. Serum specimens from all participants were tested by a commercial indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Anti-Measles, Anti-Mumps, Anti-Rubella IgG EIA-Euroimmun®, Germany) for presence of IgG antibodies against measles, mumps and rubella, as an indicator of protective immunity. Results: The study included 181 HCWs, 25 male and 156 female, aged 22 to 66 years. The average protective seroprevalence for measles, mumps and rubella was 82.9%, 76.2% and 92.3% percent, respectively. The highest share of negative results were obtained for mumps-specific IgG – 23.2% (42/181), followed by measles 16.6% (60/181) and rubella-specific IgG 7.7% (19/181). Regarding the age distribution, the highest number of HCWs non-immune to measles and mumps was found among the 31- 40-year olds, and against mumps – among the 41-50-year-olds. Conclusion: HCWs are at greater risk of contracting infections than the general population because of contact with sick patients or infectious material. Infected healthcare workers can spread nosocomial diseases to vulnerable patients with more severe illness, leading to complications and even death. Therefore, the vaccination status of HCWs must be strictly monitored.

Asymptomatic Healthcare Worker PCR Screening during SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Surge, Germany, 2022.

During 2022, a total of 9,515 asymptomatic healthcare workers of a large hospital in Germany underwent SARS-CoV-2 PCR screening twice weekly. Of 398,784 saliva samples, 3,555 (0.89%) were PCR positive (median cycle threshold value 30). Early identification of infected healthcare workers can help reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the hospital environment.

Correlation of the Adverse Event Following Immunization with the Severity of COVID-19 Infection in Health Care Workers in Padang

Background: Effective countermeasures to control the current COVID-19 pandemic are the implementation of health protocols and vaccinations. The problem that must be a concern after vaccination is post-immunization co-occurrence (AEFI), including COVID-19 vaccination. Another issue that is also a concern after vaccination is the incidence of being infected with COVID-19. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of post-vaccination COVID-19 infection in health workers in the city of Padang and its association with the incidence of COVID-19 vaccine AEFIs. &#x0D; Methods: The study used a descriptive-analytic design with a retrospective cohort method. The research will be carried out in all hospitals in Padang, and sampling will be carried out for 2 months, from November to December 2021. Officers who are confirmed to have COVID-19 after vaccination and meet the inclusion criteria are healthcare workers who have received at least 2 vaccines and are willing to fill out a Google form.&#x0D; Results: The characteristics of health workers in Padang who were confirmed to have COVID-19 after 2 vaccinations were mostly (68.1%) early adults (26-35 years), the sex was mostly female as much as 77.3%, and most professions were workers. Paramedics (nurses or midwives) as much as 57.0%. The most comorbid obesity is as much as 3.4%. Nutritional status assessed by BMI showed that obesity (37.7%) and normal nutritional status (32.9%) had almost the same proportion. Almost all health workers with or without AEFI experience mild COVID-19, as many as 98%, and experience COVID-19 infection 28 days after vaccination.&#x0D; Conclusion: The incidence of AEFI is not related to the severity of post-vaccination COVID-19 infection in health workers in Padang.