ABSTRACT
Background: If the mother is immune to measles, the infant is protected against measles infection after birth with maternal immunity. Therefore, the mother's immunity to measles is the most important factor in protecting the baby from measles in the first year. This study aimed to investigate measles seroprevalence and related factors in women between Oct 2019 and Jun 2021. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted on women aged 15-49 yr in Mersin city. Overall, 400 people were included in the study. NovaLisa Measles IgG ELISA (NovaTec Immunodiagnostica GmbH®) kit was used to measure measles IgG antibodies in serological analyses. The research was conducted between Oct 2019 and Jun 2021. In the analysis of the data; descriptive statistics, chi-square analysis, and binary logistic regression analysis were used. The statistical significance level was accepted as P≤0.05. Results: Measles seropositivity was detected in 103 (25.7%) of the women. This rate was found 5.5% in the 15-19 yr age group, 20.0% in the 20-24 yr age group, 14.5% in the 25-29 yr age group, 23.0% in the 30-34 yr age group, 42.3% in the 35-39 yr age group, 42.3% in the 40-44 yr age group and 37.5% in the 45-49 yr age group. In the logistic regression analysis, the rate of seropositivity was compared to those in the 15-19 yr age group; it was found to be 4.33 times (P=0.03) at the age of 20-24 yr, 12.71 times (P<0.001) at the age of 40-44 yr, and 10.40 times (P<0.001) at the age of 45-49. Conclusion: Three out of every four babies born in our region are not adequately protected against measles.
ABSTRACT
Healthcare workers are the group with the highest risk of COVID-19 transmission. The illness of healthcare workers poses a risk to patients admitted to the hospital, colleagues and households besides their own health. In this study, it was aimed to determine the risk assessment and the factors associated with risk status of an university hospital healthcare workers after risky COVID-19 contact. The data of the descriptive study were obtained from 773 follow-up records of 555 healthcare workers who applied with COVID-19 risky contact between 06.04-10.05.2020. Employees who were positive for RT-PCR evaluated as "patients" and others as "risky contact". Risk assessment was classified as no risk, low, medium and high risk contact according to the "Algorithm of Assessment of Health Workers with COVID-19 Contact" of the Ministry of Health. The relationship between the risk levels of the participants and their demographic and workplace characteristics and their usage of personal protection were evaluated. Mean, standard deviation, percentage, chi-square and ANOVA tests were used in the analysis of the data. The average age of the healthcare workers was determined as 34.4 ± 7.6 years. It was determined that 56.2% of those who had contact were female, 62.9% were married and 17.5% had an additional disease. It was determined that 45.6% of the risky contacts were nurses, 18.4% were supportive personnel and 16.9% were doctors. While 46.5% of the contacts were found as medium, 28.0% low, 17.1% high risk and 8.4% risk free. 38.2% of risky contacts occurred while working in internal/surgical clinics. While 66.0% of the employees had risky contact during patient care and treatment, 25% had risky contact with colleagues in social settings. High-risk contact was higher in social relations between employees. The source of the contact was a colleague in 73.2% of the employees. The average age of high-risk employees was smaller than those of low-risk. While 54.5% of the employees wore surgical masks during contact, 67.8% of the patients did not have a mask. Of 555 employees followed, 37 (6.7%) were diagnosed as COVID-19; 48.6% of the patients were nurses and 18.9% were doctors. It was determined that 48.6% of the healthcare workers were working in the COVID-19 service, outpatient clinic or intensive care unit at the time of diagnosis. The source of the infection was thought to be a colleague in 51.6% of the patients. COVID-19 was more common in nurses and doctors. It was determined that risky contact also occurred in services other than the units where COVID-19 patients were treated and risky contact often took place while providing healthcare to the patients and during social relations between the employees. Unprotected contact of the employees with each other in the workplace was identified as an important risk source. Inadequate use of personal protective equipment by healthcare workers led to an increase in medium and high risk contacts. The use of masks by patients and their relatives during the health service delivery and the proper use of personal protective equipment by healthcare professionals will reduce the risk. With the physical improvement of the rest areas of the employees and the arrangement of the breaks, the risky contact between colleagues in the social areas will be reduced.
