Insufficient Protective Equipment Research Articles

CHALLENGES AND IMPACTS OF COVID-19 ON HOSPITAL WORKERS IN INDIA: A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY ON SOCIAL LIFE, WORKFLOW PERCEPTION, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH

A cross-sectional study was conducted to identify challenges, social impacts, perceptions level, and psychological risk factors experienced by hospital workers in India during COVID -19. A pre-designed online questionnaire was shared among hospital workers to take their responses. We had collected the responses of 177 respondents. The study found that 94.9% of hospital workers in India observed staff shortages, low patient capacity, and insufficient protective equipment during COVID-19. Resource mismanagement and inadequate financial systems exacerbated these challenges, impacting patient care and hospital efficiency. Hospital workers experienced significant disruptions in their social lives, strained relationships, and fear of contamination among family and friends. Employment in the healthcare sector declined, and perceptions of daily workflow worsened, highlighting the need for advanced technology. Additionally, hospital workers faced poor psychological health, including disrupted sleep, anxiety, depression, and fear of stigmatization.

Mental health and work-related factors in healthcare workers in a pandemic – meta-analysis

ABSTRACT Due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, healthcare workers worldwide faced major challenges in the form of psychological stress. The aim of this systematic literature review and meta-analysis is to identify mental health consequences and associated work-related factors in healthcare workers during a pandemic and to quantify the influence of associated work-related factors on mental health consequences. A systematic literature search according to PRISMA was conducted on 5 August 2021 using the databases PubMed Central and APA PsychInfo. The included studies investigated the mental health consequences and associated work-related factors in healthcare workers in a pandemic. In addition, we performed a risk of bias analysis to assess the study quality of the included studies using the JBI checklists. Random-effect models and pooled effect estimators were used for the meta-analysis. The Chi2 and I2 statistics were used to identify the statistical heterogeneity. Additional sensitivity analysis was performed. From a total of 3,910 publications, 43 studies met the inclusion criteria. These studies provided 15 stress consequences and 20 stress factors. The most frequently reported stress factors were ‘contact with COVID-19 patients’, ‘no education or training in handling infectious diseases’ and ‘insufficient protective equipment’. Anxiety, stress, and depression were the most common outcomes identified. Analyses showed an increase in anxiety scores among HCWs who cared for COVID-19 patients, as well as a rise in depressive symptoms due to inadequate or no personal protective equipment. In this review, various pandemic-associated stress factors and stress consequences of healthcare workers were observed. With the results, criteria for effective measures and interventions can be developed to minimize the risk of stress consequences.

Occupational health and safety status of waste and sanitation workers: A qualitative exploration during the COVID-19 pandemic across Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, cities produce huge volumes of solid waste, sewage, and greywater with limited resources to manage it. Waste and sanitation workers, key players in managing waste, are continuously exposed to different health hazards in their work due to lack of occupational safety and basic protections. This vulnerability has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Focusing on workers’ experiences and everyday working realities, this study sought to assess the organizational capacity, gaps, and challenges of local waste management authorities during COVID-19. It also sought to deepen understanding of job arrangements, occupational safety, hygiene knowledge, and practices of these waste workers at their workplace. A qualitative study was conducted consisting of 61 key informant interviews with seven categories of local officials and 50 in-depth interviews with five categories of waste and sanitation workers in 10 cities of Bangladesh. An inductive content analysis approach was adopted. The results showed that COVID-19 had aggravated the existing waste management challenges and imposed severe health risks on waste workers. Respective conservancy departments lagged behind due to lack of safe cleaning methods and equipment, and limited funds for waste worker training, which ultimately led to poor occupational safety for workers. This vulnerable worker group lacked basic job facilities, received poor payment and insufficient protective equipment, and rarely had any health support from their employers. Also, they were not provided with an adequate understanding of occupational safety and health hygiene; and no appropriate handwashing facilities at their workplace to tackle infectious diseases like COVID-19. The study investigated this countercomplaint and discussed the current arrangements from the prespective of both city authorities and waste workers. The study recommended more automated waste collectors and compositors for the conservancy departments, increased active monitoring, work benefits, safety equipment for waste workers, and tailored training to eradicate work-related health hazards and injuries.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of midwives

This study was conducted to determine midwives' psychological impact levels of the COVID-19 pandemic related to uncertainty, fear, emotional exhaustion, anxiety, and depression. The majority of midwives had mild to moderate levels of anxiety 170 (43.7%), about half of participants had high emotional exhaustion 197 (50.6%), mild depression 177 (45.5%), moderate worry 178 (45.8%), and mild to moderate fear 239 (61.4%). Working in a hospital, low income, increased workload, insufficient protection equipment, and the presence of disease among parents and relatives were independent risk factors for anxiety and emotional exhaustion. Moreover, low educational level working in a hospital, increased duty hours, low income, increased workload, and pregnancy were independent risk factors for depression. In addition, increased duty hours contributed as a worry independent risk factor. At the same time, independent risk factors of fear were Increased duty hours, insufficient protective equipment, and pregnancy. The COVID-19 pandemic has induced anxiety, emotional exhaustion, depression, worry, and fear among midwives. Psychological intervention for midwives needs special attention to prevent, alleviate or treat psychological impact.

Feeling Anxious Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Factors Associated With Anxiety Symptoms Among Nurses in Hong Kong.

Background: The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has increased the burden for the medical systems around the world. In Hong Kong, the pandemic not only affects the local populations, but also the healthcare workers. Healthcare workers, especially nurses, involving in COVID-19 treatments are highly susceptible to adverse psychological outcomes (e.g., anxiety symptoms). Studies have shown that socio-demographic characteristics, COVID-19-specific worries, and work settings-related variables are associated with healthcare workers' well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, relevant studies for nurses in Hong Kong are limited. This study examined the psychosocial correlates of anxiety symptoms among nurses in Hong Kong.Methods: Nurses (N = 1,510) working in hospitals and community settings were recruited through nursing associations in Hong Kong between August 8, 2020 and September 22, 2020. They were invited to complete a cross-sectional survey measuring their anxiety symptoms, sociodemographic characteristics, COVID-19-specific worries, and satisfaction with work and workplace pandemic-control guidelines.Results: 17.2% of nurses reported moderate to severe levels of anxiety symptoms. Results from hierarchical regressions found that higher COVID-19-specific worries (contracting COVID-19, family members contracting COVID-19 due to their nursing work, insufficient protective equipment at workplace) (βs ranged from 0.07 to 0.20, ps < 0.01), higher perceived stigma of being a healthcare worker (β = 0.18, p < 0.001), and lower work satisfaction (β = −0.21, p < 0.001) were associated with higher anxiety symptoms.Conclusion: A moderate proportion of nurses in Hong Kong did report levels of anxiety symptoms amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Futures studies could focus on the contributing factors of anxiety symptoms to design for effective strategies to promote nurses' well-being during pandemic situations.

An Overview of the Covid-19 Crisis Management in Cameroon: Decentralised Governance Response Needed

&#x0D; This article provides insights into Cameroon’s crisis management of the coronavirus pandemic via an exploratory and descriptive qualitative research. Thematic analysis of data was done using a framework approach; the Comprehensive Pandemic Risk Management System (CPRMS) underpins the research and provided structure, order, and clarity to the article. From the findings, one can deduce that the government is working hard to mitigate the potentially awful consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. The authorities implemented temporary containment and infection control measures to stem virus spread and have relied heavily on international and humanitarian organisations for financial/technical help to operationalise the pandemic response. Attempts to control the spread of the virus, however, have been challenging. Deficiencies abound in many areas including slowness to institute containment measures after the first infected cases; Cameroon’s fragile/weak health infrastructure; insufficient critical care units and health workers disproportionately distributed in the country; safety concerns with insufficient protective equipment for health workers; overly centralised pandemic response at the national level to the detriment of the regions and lower administrative units; government politicising the response by refusing contributions/donations from opposition parties; high cost for COVID-19 treatment limiting access to healthcare and insufficient trust in health systems ability to deal with COVID-19. Recommendations are supplied on how to improve the coronavirus response as infections skyrocket. The recommendations also address enhancing later epidemics/pandemics and Cameroon’s health system.

The duty to treat in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract The duty to treat has been at the center of the moral and public debate surrounding the physician-patient relationship, especially in epidemics. The topic of discussion may be the physician who “fights” (the “hero physician”), the contaminated professional, the doctor who refuses to treat or the resigning physician. This may increase potential conflicts between the physicians’ individual values and those of their patients, conflicts that can have personal and social consequences. Doctors implicitly assume that treating patients may generate risks for his/her own well-being, but none should accept risks related to insufficient protective equipment or inappropriate protocols, or other external causes that unjustifiably increase them. Everybody involved in healthcare has the duty to minimize the risks imposed on the patient; otherwise not only physicians are at risk, but also patients and society, which could receive less healthcare or even develop other diseases.

Health beliefs of midwives about HIV/AIDS protection and the barriers to reducing risk of infection

PurposeUsing a health belief model (HBM), this study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of Iranian midwives in relation to HIV/AIDS protection behavior and to determine the needs of interventional programs for promotion of the behavior among midwives of maternity care units.Design/methodology/approachThis was a cross‐sectional study in five selected hospitals in Isfahan. All 58 midwifery personnel of maternity wards of these hospitals participated in the study. Tools for data collection were a checklist to assess midwives' practice and a questionnaire to assess knowledge, attitude, and the HBM of midwives about HIV/AIDS‐protection methods.FindingsA total of 58 midwifery personnel with average working experience of 10.92±7.98 years were assessed in the study and with a high knowledge, positive attitude and moderate practice about HIV/AIDS protection methods. The midwives perceived two main barriers, which impacted on their self‐efficacy and their protection behavior. These barriers were the emergency conditions of the work and the low availability of protective equipment.Originality/valueHIV/AIDS protection behavior and HBM of midwives can be promoted by overcoming management barriers such as inadequate midwifery personnel in emergency conditions and insufficient protective equipment. The behavior also needs to be promoted by educational interventions which focus on improving midwives' perceived risk of HIV/AIDS infection.