Healthcare Workers Exposure Risk Assessment: A Survey among Frontline Workers in Designated COVID-19 Treatment Centers in Ghana.
J Prim Care Community Health
; 11: 2150132720969483, 2020.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-937036
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Healthcare workers (HCWs) are faced with an elevated risk of exposure to SARS-COV-2 due to the clinical procedures they perform on COVID-19 patients. However, data for frontline HCWs level of exposure and risk of COVID-19 virus infection are limited.OBJECTIVE:
We investigated the level of exposure and risk of COVID-19 virus infection among HCWs in COVID-19 treatment centers in Ghana.METHODS:
A cross-sectional study was utilized in this study and HCWs were invited by convenience to participate in the study, 408 HCWs in 4 COVID-19 treatment centers participated in the study. Adherence to infection prevention and control (IPC) measures were used to categorized HCWs as low or high risk of COVID-19 virus infection. The WHO COVID-19 risk assessment tool was used to collect quantitative data from the study participants.RESULTS:
There was a high (N = 328, 80.4%) level of occupational exposure to the COVID-19 virus. However, only 14.0% of the exposed HCWs were at high risk of COVID-19 virus infection. Healthcare workers who performed or were present during any aerosol-generating procedures (AGP) were 23.8 times more likely to be exposed compared to HCWs who did not perform or were absent during any AGP (AOR 23.83; 95% CI 18.45, 39.20). High risk of COVID-19 virus infection was less likely among registered nurses (AOR = 0.09; 95% CI 0.02, 0.60), HCWs who performed or were present during any AGP (AOR = 0.05; 95% CI 0.01, 0.50) and HCWs with a master's degree qualification (AOR 0.06; 95% CI 0.01, 0.63).CONCLUSION:
Despite the high level of exposure to the COVID-19 virus among HCWs in the treatment centers, only 14.0% were at high risk of COVID-19 virus infection. To protect this group of HCWs, treatment centers and HCWs should continue to adhere to WHO and national IPC protocols in managing of COVID-19 cases.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pneumonia, Viral
/
Health Personnel
/
Coronavirus Infections
/
Risk Assessment
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
/
Pregnancy
/
Young adult
Country/Region as subject:
Africa
Language:
English
Journal:
J Prim Care Community Health
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
2150132720969483
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