Use Of Personal Protective Equipment Research Articles

Knowledge of Infection Prevention and Control and Practice Behaviors among Career and Volunteer Firefighters in Rural Communities

Due to the emerging threat conditions in the work environment, firefighters are at a high risk of exposure to not only toxic substances but also biological agents in the dayroom and during emergency runs. The aim of this study is to evaluate firefighter (career and volunteer) knowledge and practice behaviors on infection control. This study surveyed 444 firefighters (210 career, 234 volunteer) in rural Northwestern Kentucky. The self-reported survey focused on individual characteristics, knowledge on exposure incident control, precautionary actions, and personal protections. We evaluated the descriptive characteristics of knowledge and practice scores stratified by firefighter groups (career and volunteers). The associations between infection control training received (yes/no) and firefighter knowledge and practice scores were also examined. Firefighters who were trained on infection control prevention had significantly higher knowledge scores (M = 63.7, SD = 13.4 vs. M = 59.7, SD = 15.9; p = 0.012). Volunteer firefighters exhibited better infection control practice behaviors than career firefighters (M = 70.6, SD = 13.0 vs. M = 67.4, SD = 11.1; p = 0.05). Firefighters who followed infection control guidelines (M = 69.5, SD = 11.9 vs. M = 58.1, SD = 9.9; p = 0.012) and expressed need for a comprehensive training on personal protective equipment (PPE) selection (β = 3.41, SE = 1.54, aOR = 30.22, 95% CI: 1.47–620.87; p = 0.028) had significantly higher practice scores compared to those who did not. The study results have policy implications for infection prevention and control (IPC) in rural fire departments, both career and volunteer. A review of infection control policies is needed, especially as it relates to training and practice behaviors during emergency calls and in the dayroom. Results also suggest the need to develop strategies to improve the culture of PPE use and training on the selection of PPEs appropriate to the emergency response type.

Edukasi Regulasi Keselamatan dan Kesehatan Kerja Konstruksi pada Pekerja Konstruksi di Sumatera Utara

The level of implementation of occupational health and safety is still far from what was expected, even though the workforce as a company asset requires protection to increase productivity to support the company's development. Work accidents in construction result from a lack of compliance with requirements for implementing occupational safety and health (K3), a lack of awareness by companies and workers about the risks that can be borne, and project implementers ignoring occupational safety and health. The use of personal protective equipment and work protective equipment is mandatory for construction workers to protect workers and construction work

Machine Learning Methods Analysis of Preceding Factors Affecting Behavioral Intentions to Purchase Reduced Plastic Products

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in the use of personal protective equipment and single-use plastics, which has exacerbated plastic littering on land and in marine environments. Consumer behaviors with regards to eco-friendly products, their acceptance, and intentions to purchase need to be explored to help businesses achieve their sustainability goals. This paper establishes the Sustainability Theory of Planned Behavior (STPB), an integration of the TPB and sustainability domains, in order to analyze the said objectives. The study employed a machine learning ensemble method and used MATLAB to analyze the data. The results showed that support and attitude from perceived authorities were the main variables influencing customers’ intentions for purchasing reduced plastic products. Customers with a high level of environmental awareness were more likely to embrace reduced plastic items as a way to lessen their ecological footprint and support environmental conservation, making perceived environmental concern another important factor. This shows that authorities play a big role in the community in influencing people to choose reduced plastic products, making it the duty of governments and companies to promote environmental awareness. This study emphasizes the significance of the latent variables considered when developing marketing plans and activities meant to promote products with less plastic.

Factors Affecting Compliance with The Use of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) in Nurses the Inpatient Room of Ananda Bekasi Hospital

Occupational health and safety is a crucial aspect in the hospital environment. Even though there are regulations governing the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) by nurses, compliance with its use is still a challenge. This research was conducted at Ananda Bekasi Hospital to understand the factors that influence nurses' compliance in using PPE. Quantitative methods with a cross-sectional approach were used with a sample of 60 nurses from inpatient rooms. Data was obtained through questionnaires, and statistical analysis was carried out using univariate, bivariate and multivariate tests. The results show a significant relationship between work experience, attitudes, knowledge, availability of PPE, supervision, and social support with the use of PPE. The dominant factors influencing the use of PPE are length of service, attitude and social support. The implication is that attention needs to be paid to education, training, better supervision, as well as a supportive culture and attitude to increase compliance with the use of PPE among nurses in hospitals.

К вопросу формирования культуры безопасности труда на этапе обучения использованию и учету выдачи средств индивидуальной защиты

The analysis of activities aiming to build occupational safety culture via the control over the life cycle of personal protective equipment at enterprises has been provided. The objective of the study is the analysis of problems and best practices of provision of enterprises with personal protective equipment and the further development of a demo simulator to create personal report cards and issue personal protective equipment. The features of control over the issuance of personal protective equipment have been detected as follows: The efficiency of control over personal protective equipment is determined by the timely implementation of digital services at the enterprise that, inter alia, reduce the stress associated with the work activities of occupational safety specialists; Improvement of competencies of occupational safety specialists as to the issuance of personal protective equipment increases the efficiency of its use by employees; Satisfaction of employees with the use of personal protective equipment is directly associated with their correct assignment reducing discomfort during the use; Selection of personal protective equipment by occupational safety specialists is based, inter alia, on the probability of hazards and hazardous events at the workplace; The high level of control over and use of personal protective equipment at the enterprise ensures building safety culture and motivation for safe work. A demo simulator has been developed as a solution to increase the level of efficiency of control over the issuance and use of personal protective equipment at the enterprise as a whole; a demo simulator that can be applied to train employees under the programs of use of personal protective equipment has been developed. The solution relies on the method of cases covering the list of personal protective equipment for occupations engaged in activities of a typical hazardous production facility based on the example of a boiler room; the list contains a set of test questions covering a wide range of features of personal protective equipment. The approbation of the developed approach during the training of future occupational safety specialists demonstrates its efficiency as it provides sufficient and competent information on personal protective equipment and the conditions for creating personal report cards to control the issuance of personal protection equipment that can be implemented as comprehensive software.

Effects of Use of Personal Protective Equipment on Physical and Mental Health of Health Care Workers: A Mixed-Method Study

Abstract Background: Due to the high transmissibility of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) was recommended worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic for health care workers (HCWs). Objectives: The study aims to understand the effects of the use of PPE on the health of HCWs. Materials and Methods: The study was a mixed-method study consisting of two parts, conducted in the year 2019. Initially, 200 HCWs were asked to fill out an online questionnaire enquiring about the effects of PPE on their health. To assess the distress caused by PPE, Kessler Distress Scale was used. In the second part, 20 random participants were interviewed for a subjective understanding of their experience with PPE. Results: Excessive sweating, fatigue, increased thirst, dyspnea, and headache were the most reported symptoms, along with several dermatological symptoms. About 10% of the participants suffered from severe distress. The interviews showed themes involving donning and doffing, physical, psychological, and social well-being, work efficacy, security, and stigma. Conclusion: The scarcity of PPE, prolonged duty hours, and lack of prior training led to various mental and physical ailments among HCWs. These could be tackled by simple preventive strategies, which, if implemented at a broad scale, would help the health care community during similar situations in the future.

Cross-sectional study of personal protective equipment use, training and biosafety preparedness among healthcare workers during the first months of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Brazil

ObjectivesBrazil has high rates of COVID-19 and tuberculosis among healthcare workers (HCWs). Personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential for their protection. We aimed to evaluate PPE use, training, and preparedness...

Respiratory Morbidity Among Seed-Processing Industry Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study in Rural West Bengal, 2022-2023.

Seed processing workers are exposed to dust particles generated during the processing of seeds, which can have adverse effects on their respiratory health. Aim: to estimate the prevalence and patterns of respiratory morbidity among seed processing workers in Hooghly district, West Bengal, India, and to explore their use of respiratory personal protective equipment (PPE). A cross sectional observational study was conducted in 5 seed processing plants from December 2022 to February 2023. A sample size of 129 workers was selected using probability proportionate to population size to select seed processing plants and simple random sampling to select workers at selected plants. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, occupational profile, substance use patterns, respiratory PPE use, and respiratory symptoms were collected through structured interviews. Spirometry was performed with a hand held tabletop spirometer (RMS Helios 401) to assess respiratory function. 52.7% of participants reported at least one chronic respiratory symptom, while 17.1% had evident respiratory morbidity based on spirometry results, with most having restrictive patterns (10.1%). Multivariable regression analysis revealed that factors associated with respiratory morbidity included increasing work years of exposure [1.10 (1.02 1.18)], irregular use of respiratory PPE [4.36 (1.22 15.57)], and primary or below education level [6.09 (1.38 26.98)]. The study highlights the high prevalence of respiratory symptoms and morbidity among seed processing workers. It emphasizes the importance of implementing effective respiratory protection measures and raising awareness about occupational lung diseases in this industry. Further research and interventions are needed to improve the respiratory health and well being of seed processing workers.

Infection control and prevention in burn victims: The role of nurses

ABSTRACT Burn injury is a major public health concern, with an estimated 180,000 deaths each year associated with burn-related infections. The majority of these occur in low- and middle-income countries, and almost two-thirds occur in the World Health Organization African and South-East Asia Regions. There is a risk of an escalation of burn injury site infections if nurses who are directly involved in burn care do not develop a mechanism to mitigate this risk in the coming years. Hence, this study aims at explaining what burn injuries are and how nurses can prevent the occurrence of infection among burn victims. This review analyzed published studies using keywords such as burn injury, infection in burn patients, and nurses’ involvement in infection prevention and control (IPC) on search engines such as PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. The literature was retrieved and reviewed for eligibility to capture just the variables indicated in this seminar objective; the date range chosen in the literature search was from 2015 to 2023. The study found that many patients die from burn injuries as a result of exposure to infection and most nurses are not adequately informed about infection control. The study also found that nurses’ responsibilities include proper hand hygiene, wound care, the use of personal protective equipment, antibiotic medication, cleaning the patient’s surroundings, and preventing patient cross-contamination. Burn injuries pose a significant risk to patients, necessitating infection control and prevention. Therefore, nurses in burn units should be informed on IPC practices and also educate patients, families, and coworkers on their importance.

Hubungan Lama Kerja dan Penggunaan APD terhadap Kejadian ISPA pada Pekerja PT. Cakra Indo Pratama (CIP) Site Bukit Asam Tanjung Enim

Background: Work duration of more than 5 years has a risk of experiencing symptoms of acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory infections are upper or lower tract diseases, usually infectious and cause various diseases that range from asymptomatic diseases or mild infections to severe and deadly diseases, the need for efforts for occupational safety in PT. CIP workers, Personal Protective Equipment is one of the last efforts for the company to protect its workforce from factors and potential hazards. The purpose of the study: To determine the relationship between length of work and the use of personal protective equipment to acute respiratory infections in PT. CIP field workers. Research Methods: Quantitative type research using analytical observations with a cross-sectional study approach. Results: research using Chi-Square found that the relationship between length of work with the incidence of acute respiratory infections obtained a p value = 0.391, between the use of personal protective equipment with the incidence of , acute respiratory infections obtained a p value = 0.001. Conclusion: There is no significant relationship between length of work and the incidence of acute respiratory infections, while there is a significant relationship between the use of personal protective equipment and the incidence of acute respiratory infections.

Peningkatan Kesadaran Terhadap K3 Melalui Penggunaan Apd Bagi Pekerja Di Perkebunan Kelapa Sawit Desa Sesulu, Penajam Paser Utara

Success in implementing occupational safety and health in the workplace depends largely on the level of knowledge, understanding and awareness of workers. This is reflected in the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) while working. The more disciplined workers are in using PPE, the better the implementation of K3 at the job site. The purpose of this program is to increase the awareness of workers in the Sesulu village oil palm plantation on the importance of using PPE while working, so that occupational safety and health can be realized properly. This activity will be held on July 25-26, 2023, located in the oil palm plantation area of Sesulu village, Waru District, North Penajam Paser Utara. The approach used is the provision of education and counseling to workers. The form of implementation consists of providing material, discussion, evaluation and providing PPE as a form of concern for the importance of implementing K3. This program is expected to have a positive impact and be able to raise awareness in maintaining and maintaining K3

Pollutants Exposure as A Causal Factor of Cardiovascular Diseases Among Meat Roasters in Selected Abattoirs in Obio/Akpor, Rivers State, Nigeria

This study examined the occurrences of CVD among meat roasters in relation to pollutants exposures in abattoirs in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area. Four abattoirs with 50 workers were sampled while air quality parameters were obtained from five points at distances (Om, 20m, 50m, 100m and 200m) in each abattoir. The hand held air quality sampler was used to measure pollutants including gases and particulates such as NO2 , O3 , SO2 , H2 S, CH4 , CO, PM2.5 and PM10 in parts per million (ppm) and microgram per cubic metre (µg/m3 ) whereas the electrocardiogram, ECG machine Cardiart 108T (BPL, India) was used to record electrical events in the heart muscle in order to diagnosed manifestations of CVD. The mean concentration of pollutants measured were O3 (0.43), SO2 (0.31), H2 S (0.17), CH4 (0.15), CO (0.64), PM2.5(2.26) and PM10(8.88). The Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Analysis of Variance statistical tools were employed in the analyses and the coefficient r = .616, r2 = .379 revealed that 38% of CVD occurrence among meat roasters is due to pollutant concentration exposure. On the other, pollutant concentration across the area do not vary significantly as revealed by the ANOVA result (F= 2.3941, P<0.05) with 74% of CVD occurrence observed among workers between the ages of 21-40 years of age. The study concluded that abattoirs are localized source of air pollution releasing pollutants, which contributes significantly to CVD occurrence. Thus, air quality monitoring, constant environmental management and evaluation of abattoirs, use of personal preventive/precautionary approach including going for constant medical check-up, adherence to medical advice, use of personal protective equipment and reduction in duration of exposure were highly recommended.

The economics of deep and machine learning-based algorithms for COVID-19 prediction, detection, and diagnosis shaping the organizational management of hospitals

Research background: Deep and machine learning-based algorithms can assist in COVID-19 image-based medical diagnosis and symptom tracing, optimize intensive care unit admission, and use clinical data to determine patient prioritization and mortality risk, being pivotal in qualitative care provision, reducing medical errors, and increasing patient survival rates, thus diminishing the massive healthcare system burden in relation to severe COVID-19 inpatient stay duration, while increasing operational costs throughout the organizational management of hospitals. Data-driven financial and scenario-based contingency planning, predictive modelling tools, and risk pooling mechanisms should be deployed for additional medical equipment and unforeseen healthcare demand expenses. Purpose of the article: We show that deep and machine learning-based and clinical decision making systems can optimize patient survival likelihood and treatment outcomes with regard to susceptible, infected, and recovered individuals, performing accurate analyses by data modeling based on vital and clinical signs, surveillance data, and infection-related biomarkers, and furthering hospital facility optimization in terms of intensive care unit bed allocation. Methods: The review software systems employed for article screening and quality evaluation were: AMSTAR, AXIS, DistillerSR, Eppi-Reviewer, MMAT, PICO Portal, Rayyan, ROBIS, and SRDR. Findings & value added: Deep and machine learning-based clinical decision support tools can forecast COVID-19 spread, confirmed cases, and infection and mortality rates for data-driven appropriate treatment and resource allocations in effective therapeutic and diagnosis protocol development, by determining suitable measures and regulations and by using symptoms and comorbidities, vital signs, clinical and laboratory data and medical records across intensive care units, impacting the healthcare financing infrastructure. As a result of heightened use of personal protective equipment, hospital pharmacy and medication, outpatient treatment, and medical supplies, revenue loss and financial vulnerability occur, also due to expenses related to hiring additional staff and to critical resource expenditures. Hospital costs for COVID-19 medical care, screening, treatment capacity expansion, and personal protective equipment can lead to further financial losses while affecting COVID-19 frontline hospital workers and patients.

Advance Analysis of the Obtained Recycled Materials from Used Disposable Surgical Masks.

The production of personal protective equipment (PPE) has increased dramatically in recent years, not only because of the pandemic, but also because of stricter legislation in the field of Employee Protection. The increasing use of PPE, including disposable surgical masks (DSMs), is putting additional pressure on waste collectors. For this reason, it is necessary to find high-quality solutions for this type of waste. Mechanical recycling is still the most common type of recycling, but the recyclates are often classified as low-grade materials. For this reason, a detailed analysis of the recyclates is necessary. These data will help us to improve the properties and find the right end application that will increase the value of the materials. This work represents an extended analysis of the recyclates obtained from DSMs, manufactured from different polymers. Using surface and morphology tests, we have gained insights into the distribution of different polymers in polymer blends and their effects on mechanical and surface properties. It was found that the addition of ear loop material to the PP melt makes the material tougher. In the polymer blends obtained, PP and PA 6 form the surface (affects surface properties), while PU and PET are distributed mainly inside the injection-molded samples.

Evaluating the impact of COVID-19 mitigation measures on quality assurance of cross-border construction logistics and supply chain

PurposeWhile COVID-19 mitigation measures (CMMs) aided in steady recovery during the pandemic, they also impeded movement across economies/borders, affecting quality assurance (QA) of Cross-border Construction Logistics and Supply Chain (Cb-CLSC). However, prior studies on the pandemic in the construction project industry have not revealed how CMMs have impacted QA. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the impact of the CMMs on the QA of Cb-CLSC.Design/methodology/approachThis is achieved by adopting an embedded mixed-method approach involving a desk literature review and engaging 150 experts from different economies across the globe using expert surveys, and results verified via semi-structured expert interviews. Structural equation modelling-based multiple regression analysis (SEM-MRA) was integrated to examine the impact of the CMMs on the QA, along with descriptive and content analysis.FindingsThe study confirmed that CMMs have not only impacted the QA negatively but also influenced the positioning of the QA for the post-pandemic era and probably to survive the risks of future pandemics. Among all the identified CMMs, the top three critical measures include “lockdown (CMM2)”, “use of personal protective equipment, such as nose masks, disinfects, etc. (CMM5)”, and “electronic/virtual meetings (CMM7)”. However, CMM5 possesses the highest contributory power to form CMM in impacting the QA, and this can be regarded as largely positive by strengthening health and safety management systems. Its negative impact lies with the project cost increment and the inconveniences of using nose and face masks.Practical implicationsThis study provides a better understanding to construction practitioners and policy makers on how the pandemic policies, i.e. CMMs, have impacted QA and can aid in formulating planning and operational decisions to adequately position the QA for the post-pandemic era and to endure the risks of future pandemics.Originality/valueThe study contributes to knowledge in that it provides a better understanding of how the pandemic policies, such as CMMs, have impacted QA and can aid in formulating planning and operational decisions to adequately position the QA for the post-pandemic era and to endure the risks of future pandemics. This area of study has been given limited attention among prior studies during the pandemic.

Exposure to benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) at Nigeria's petrol stations: a review of current status, challenges and future directions.

In Nigeria, because of increasing population, urbanization, industrialization, and auto-mobilization, petrol is the most everyday non-edible commodity, and it is the leading petroleum product traded at the proliferating Nigeria's petrol stations (NPSs). However, because of inadequate occupational health and safety (OHS) regulatory measures, working at NPSs exposes petrol station workers (PSWs) to a large amount of hazardous benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) compounds. Studies on BTEX exposures among Nigerian PSWs are scarce. Thus, constraints in quantifying the health risks of BTEX limit stakeholders' ability to design practical risk assessment and risk control strategies. This paper reviews studies on the OHS of Nigerian PSWs at the NPSs. Although knowledge, attitude, and practices on OHS in NPSs vary from one Nigeria's study setting to another, generally, safety practices, awareness about hazards and personal protective equipment (PPE), and the use of PPE among PSWs fell below expectations. Additionally, air quality at NPSs was poor, with a high content of BTEX and levels of carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, particulate matter, and formaldehyde higher than the World Health Organization guideline limits. Currently, regulatory bodies' effectiveness and accountability in safeguarding OHS at NPSs leave much to be desired. Understanding the OHS of NPSs would inform future initiatives, policies, and regulations that would promote the health and safety of workers at NPSs. However, further studies need to be conducted to describe the vulnerability of PSWs and other Nigerians who are occupationally exposed to BTEX pollution. More importantly, controlling air pollution from hazardous air pollutants like BTEX is an essential component of OHS and integral to attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 3, 7, and 11.

Socio-demographic, agricultural, and personal protective factors in relation to health literacy among farmers from all regions of Thailand.

Farmers are vulnerable to adverse health effects from pesticide exposure due to their health literacy (HL). Therefore, this study aims to investigate HL among farmers in four main regions of Thailand, investigating socio-demographics, agricultural, and personal protective factors to their HL. This cross-sectional design study was conducted on 4,035 farmers from January to July 2023. The European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire-47 items were used to measure HL. Thai farmers had a mean HL score of 34.7 ± 8.7, and the farmers in the North region of Thailand had the highest frequency of limited HL (75.8%). Socio-demographic factors that were associated with HL included gender, region of living, marital status, education level, co-morbidity, and number of family members. Agricultural factors associated with HL included planting status, working hours on farm, spraying pesticides, harvesting crops, pesticide use of >1 type, access information from government officers, access information from posters/brochures, information from online multimedia, and access information from neighbors. Personal protective factors that were associated with HL included wearing a hat, goggles, a rubber apron, and a long-sleeved shirt. Our study recommends that strategies and interventions to enhance the HL of farmers should be focused on the target populations, which include men, widows, or divorced, those with low levels of education, those who have co-morbidities, and those who applied pesticides of more than 1 type and improper personal protective equipment (PPE) use. The primary emphasis needs to be on the North region of Thailand, making that the target area to improve health equity in Thailand. These efforts would enhance the HL of farmers and sustainably improve pesticide safety behavior. Additionally, there is an urgent need for supportive measures aimed at altering on-farm practices and promoting education on alternative pest management strategies, particularly non-chemical crop protection, to ensure sustainable agriculture.

Analisis Penerapan Penggunaan Alat Pelindung Diri (APD)

The incidence of infection is considered a serious problem that threatens the health and safety of patients and health workers globally. Nosocomial infections are infections that occur in hospitals and attack sufferers who are in the healing process. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is equipment that workers must use when carrying out work that poses a risk of compromising safety and health. The aim of this research is to determine the implementation of the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in room D of one of the Bogor city hospitals. The type of research is in the form of a case study of nursing management station nurse practice which was carried out October 16 – November 10 2023. Data collection tools used observation and checklist sheets. The results of research on the types of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) used in room D consist of handscoone, mask, apron, haircap and shoes. The personal protective equipment (PPE) used in room D was found to be incomplete. The implementation of the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) used in room D was found to be poor, because of the 5 nurses only 3 nurses applied it well (70%), the rest were not good (30%). And in conclusion, implementing the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is very important for health workers, especially nurses, when carrying out medical procedures to avoid nosocomial infections..

“We could have used a lot more of this before…”: A qualitative study understanding barriers and facilitators to implementing a provincial PPE safety coach program during the COVID-19 pandemic

A Provincial PPE Safety Coach Program was introduced to support appropriate use of personal protective equipment by health care workers. The objective was to understand barriers and facilitators to implementation. A qualitative study was conducted mid-2021. Participants were recruited using a purposive sampling strategy. Interviews were conducted using a guide informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework and Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Analysis was conducted using the Theoretical Domains Framework. Prominent domains identified by staff were "social influences and skills", "environmental context and resources", "social/professional role and identity", "emotion", and "belief of consequences". Prominent domains identified by safety coaches were "knowledge", "social/professional role and identity", "environmental context and resources", and "memory". Only "environmental context and resources" and "social/professional role and identity" were similar. The main facilitators were fear of COVID-19 and leadership commitment, while the main barriers were lack of clarity and balancing the role. Understanding the local context of a health care environment influenced the success of safety coaches. The role allowed individuals to develop leadership skills and help staff improve their perceived competence in using personal protective equipment. Safety coaches were well received. Influencing factors provide a basis for strategies to embed this approach throughout a health care system.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 Infections Among Emergency Health Care Personnel: Impact on Delivery of United States Emergency Medical Care, 2020

ObjectiveIn the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic and prior to vaccine availability, there were concerns that infected emergency department (ED) healthcare personnel (HCP) could present a threat to the delivery of emergency medical care. We examined how the pandemic affected staffing levels and whether COVID-19 positive staff were potentially infectious at work in a cohort of U.S. ED HCP in 2020. MethodsThe COVID-19 Evaluation of Risks in Emergency Departments (Project COVERED) project was a multicenter prospective cohort study of U.S. ED HCP conducted from May to December 2020. During surveillance, HCP completed weekly electronic surveys and underwent periodic serology and nasal RT-PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2, and investigators captured weekly data on healthcare facility COVID prevalence and HCP staffing. Surveys asked about symptoms, potential exposures, work attendance, personal protective equipment (PPE) use, and behaviors. ResultsWe enrolled 1,673 HCP who completed 29,825 person-weeks of surveillance. Eighty-nine (5.3%) HCP documented 90 (0.3%; 95% CI 0.2-0.4%) person-weeks of missed work related to documented or concerns for COVID-19 infection. HCP experienced symptoms of COVID-19 during 1,256 (4.2%) person-weeks and worked at least one shift while symptomatic during 1,042 (83.0%) of these periods. Seventy-five (4.5%) participants tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 during the surveillance period, including 43 (57.3%) who indicated they never experienced symptoms; 74 (98.7%; 95% CI 90.7%-99.9%) infected HCP worked at least one shift during the initial period of infection, and 71 (94.7%) continued working until laboratory confirmation of their infection. Physician staffing was not associated with the facility or community COVID-19 levels within any time frame studied (Kendall tau’s 0.02, 0.056, and 0.081 for no shift, one-week time-shift, and two-week time shift, respectively). ConclusionDuring the first wave of the pandemic, COVID-19 infections in ED HCP were infrequent, and the time lost from the workforce was minimal. HCP frequently reported for work while infected with SARS-CoV-2 prior to lab confirmation. ED staffing levels were poorly correlated with facility and community COVID-19 burden.