ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: COVID-19 pandemic increased the prevalence of burnout syndrome. AIM: To describe the prevalence of burnout syndrome in health care workers of a private clinic in the Metropolitan Region of Chile. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study, the study population were health care workers of a private clinic. An online version of Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Service Survey was applied during June 2020. Variables such as age, sex, marital status, number of children, service, occupation, and night shift were studied. RESULTS: We collected 846 responses. A 36% (95% confidence intervals (CI) [32,8-39,2]) prevalence of high levels of burnout syndrome was found. Thirty one percent (95% CI [28,1-34,3]) of the respondents had high levels of emotional exhaustion (AE), 33% (95%CI [29,8-36,2]) had low personal fulfillment (RP) and 30% (95%CI [26,6-32,7]) had high levels of depersonalization (DP). CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare workers showed concerning levels of burnout syndrome. It is recommended to pay special attention to high levels of emotional exhaustion in nursing and night shift staff. Institutions should develop and apply prevention and emotional support strategies in health personnel.
Subject(s)
Burnout, Professional , COVID-19 , Child , Humans , Cross-Sectional Studies , Pandemics , COVID-19/epidemiology , Health Personnel/psychology , Burnout, Professional/epidemiology , Surveys and Questionnaires , PrevalenceABSTRACT
Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection of healthcare workers (HCWs) has been reported as a key player in the nosocomial spreading of COVID-19. Early detection of infected HCWs can prevent spreading of the virus in hospitals among HCWs and patients. We conducted a cross-sectional study to determine the asymptomatic infection of HCWs in a private clinic in the city of Santiago, Chile. Our study was conducted during a period of 5 weeks at the peak of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Chile. Nasopharyngeal samples were obtained from 413 HCWs and tested for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 using RT-qPCR. We found that a 3.14% of HCWs were positive for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 (14/413). Out of these, 7/14 were completely asymptomatic and did not develop symptoms within 3 weeks of testing. Sequencing of viral genomes showed the predominance of the GR clade; however, sequence comparison demonstrated numerous genetic differences among them suggesting community infection as the main focus of transmission among HCWs. Our study demonstrates that the protocols applied to protect HCWs and patients have been effective as no infection clusters due to asymptomatic carriers were found in the clinic. Together, these data suggest that infection with SARS-CoV-2 among HCWs of this health center is not nosocomial.
Subject(s)
Asymptomatic Infections/epidemiology , COVID-19/diagnosis , COVID-19/epidemiology , Health Personnel/statistics & numerical data , Adult , COVID-19/transmission , COVID-19/virology , Chile/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Hospitals, University , Humans , Infection Control/methods , Male , Middle Aged , SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purificationABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Poor living conditions promote the spread of communicable diseases. It happened with Tuberculosis (TB) and is happening with COVID-19. Due to its dynamic nature, this group of diseases must be studied in the context of the social determinants of health. AIM: To describe the epidemiological behavior of COVID-19 in response to the control strategies implemented by the Chilean Ministry of Health and its similarities with the socio-economic distribution of TB in the Metropolitan Region (MR) of Chile. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The 2018 Tuberculosis rates and average income of districts belonging to the MR were described, as well as the incidence rates of COVID-19. A Pearson correlation analysis was applied between the rates of both diseases, to assess similarities in the epidemiological distribution patterns. RESULTS: The RM accounts for over 50% of the total national cases of COVID-19. After the implementation of selective quarantines, only four districts in the RM managed to control the outbreak (those with the highest incomes). In the rest, a clear increase in cases was observed. The districts with the highest increase in cases were the most disadvantaged, and those with the highest TB rates during 2018, with a correlation coefficient of 0.6. CONCLUSIONS: Control policies cannot deepen health inequalities. If vulnerable groups, as well as the factors that determine their health, are not properly identified, the consequences of the current pandemic could be even more devastating.