Knowledge regarding heat stress and practice of personal protective equipment use among healthcare workers during the COVID 19 pandemic

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The need for healthcare workers (HCWs) to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic heightens their risk of thermal stress. Objective(s) To determine knowledge regarding heat stress and practice of PPE among HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material(s) and Method(s) A cross-sectional observational study was done among 115 HCWs using a self-designed questionnaire to identify their thoughts on heat stress caused by PPE wear during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ambient temperature, relative humidity (RH), and dew point in their respective locations were recorded using data loggers (EL-USB-2-LCD+, Lascar Electronics, Salisbury, UK). R version 3.6.2 was used to examine the frequency and descriptive statistics from the survey findings. Pearson's chi-square was used to determine associations. A p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result(s) The average wet bulb globe temperature (WBG) reported was 30.0oC (IQR 29.1-31.8oC) according to the heat exposure data. The majority of the 115 HCWs were involved in medical consulting (39%), followed by nursing (29%). The researchers discovered that 50% of the workers (n=57) were wearing 5-6 PPEs and had a fourteen-fold increased risk of developing an undesirable thermal health symptom (95 % CI 0.77 to 280.24;p=0.0737). In addition, 36% of the participants (n=42) worked between 8 and 10 hours every shift with little or no rest. It was also important to note that 76% (n=88) of them worked in non-air-conditioned environments, and 33% (n=38) of them had excessive workloads, which could add to the employees' heat burden. More than half of them agreed that wearing PPE is extremely inconvenient, and they avoided taking breaks to maintain infection control. The impression of thermal stress was reported by 96% of the participants (n=111), and it was found to be substantially linked with the job they were engaged [OR 0.0654 (95% CI 0.003- 1.246) P=0.001]. More than half of the participants strongly agreed that appropriate rest and hydration before work could help them lower their thermal stress. Conclusion(s) HCWs are cognizant of the effects of heat stress but might not adopt best practices due to various constraints. Ice slurry ingestion could be a practical and effective method for promoting thermal comfort. Adverse effects of heat stress on productivity and judgment of HCWs warrant further investigation.