Infection prevention and control practices and related factors among paramedics during the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak in Korea.

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to investigate the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection prevention and control (IPC) practices and related factors among paramedics. We selected 249 paramedics using convenience sampling from three areas in Korea. Data on the demographics, infection-related characteristics, awareness, and practice of IPC were collected using self-reported questionnaires. The mean IPC practice score was 4.47 ± 0.54. The compliance with IPC practices was relatively high among those with a disease history (B = 0.194, p = 0.045) and who were aware of the safety management standard guidelines. Provision of sufficient protective equipment and infection prevention monitoring were associated with higher IPC practice scores. Education for increasing awareness of the recent IPC guidelines and the allocation of personal protective equipment would be helpful in improving the practice.