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Implementation of a COVID-19 surveillance programme for healthcare workers in a teaching hospital in an upper-middle-income country.
Wan, Kim Sui; Tok, Peter Seah Keng; Yoga Ratnam, Kishwen Kanna; Aziz, Nuraini; Isahak, Marzuki; Ahmad Zaki, Rafdzah; Nik Farid, Nik Daliana; Hairi, Noran Naqiah; Rampal, Sanjay; Ng, Chiu-Wan; Samsudin, Mohd Fauzy; Venugopal, Vinura; Asyraf, Mohammad; Damanhuri, Narisa Hatun; Doraimuthu, Sanpagavalli; Arumugam, Catherine Thamarai; Marthammuthu, Thaneswaran; Nawawi, Fathhullah Azmie; Baharudin, Faiz; Chong, Diane Woei Quan; Jayaraj, Vivek Jason; Magarita, Venna; Ponnampalavanar, Sasheela; Hasnan, Nazirah; Kamarulzaman, Adeeba; Said, Mas Ayu.
  • Wan KS; Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • Tok PSK; Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia.
  • Yoga Ratnam KK; Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • Aziz N; Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia.
  • Isahak M; Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • Ahmad Zaki R; Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia.
  • Nik Farid ND; Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • Hairi NN; Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia.
  • Rampal S; Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • Ng CW; Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • Samsudin MF; Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • Venugopal V; Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • Asyraf M; Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • Damanhuri NH; Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • Doraimuthu S; Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • Arumugam CT; Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia.
  • Marthammuthu T; Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • Nawawi FA; Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia.
  • Baharudin F; Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • Chong DWQ; Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia.
  • Jayaraj VJ; Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • Magarita V; Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia.
  • Ponnampalavanar S; Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • Hasnan N; Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia.
  • Kamarulzaman A; Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • Said MA; Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia.
PLoS One ; 16(4): e0249394, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1183673
ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION:

The reporting of Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) mortality among healthcare workers highlights their vulnerability in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Some low- and middle-income countries have highlighted the challenges with COVID-19 testing, such as inadequate capacity, untrained laboratory personnel, and inadequate funding. This article describes the components and implementation of a healthcare worker surveillance programme in a designated COVID-19 teaching hospital in Malaysia. In addition, the distribution and characteristics of healthcare workers placed under surveillance are described. MATERIAL AND

METHODS:

A COVID-19 healthcare worker surveillance programme was implemented in University Malaya Medical Centre. The programme involved four teams contact tracing, risk assessment, surveillance and outbreak investigation. Daily symptom surveillance was conducted over fourteen days for healthcare workers who were assessed to have low-, moderate- and high-risk of contracting COVID-19. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted for data collected over 24 weeks, from the 6th of March 2020 to the 20th of August 2020.

RESULTS:

A total of 1,174 healthcare workers were placed under surveillance. The majority were females (71.6%), aged between 25 and 34 years old (64.7%), were nursing staff (46.9%) and had no comorbidities (88.8%). A total of 70.9% were categorised as low-risk, 25.7% were moderate-risk, and 3.4% were at high risk of contracting COVID-19. One-third (35.2%) were symptomatic, with the sore throat (23.6%), cough (19.8%) and fever (5.0%) being the most commonly reported symptoms. A total of 17 healthcare workers tested positive for COVID-19, with a prevalence of 0.3% among all the healthcare workers. Risk category and presence of symptoms were associated with a positive COVID-19 test (p<0.001). Fever (p<0.001), cough (p = 0.003), shortness of breath (p = 0.015) and sore throat (p = 0.002) were associated with case positivity.

CONCLUSION:

COVID-19 symptom surveillance and risk-based assessment have merits to be included in a healthcare worker surveillance programme to safeguard the health of the workforce.
Subject(s)

Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Disease Outbreaks / COVID-19 Testing / COVID-19 Type of study: Diagnostic study / Observational study / Prognostic study / Randomized controlled trials Limits: Adult / Female / Humans / Male Country/Region as subject: Asia Language: English Journal: PLoS One Journal subject: Science / Medicine Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Journal.pone.0249394

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Disease Outbreaks / COVID-19 Testing / COVID-19 Type of study: Diagnostic study / Observational study / Prognostic study / Randomized controlled trials Limits: Adult / Female / Humans / Male Country/Region as subject: Asia Language: English Journal: PLoS One Journal subject: Science / Medicine Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Journal.pone.0249394