Open AccessClinical Characteristics and Risk Factors for COVID-19 among Health Care Workers in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Author(s) -
Nada Bokhary,
Ahlam Alamri,
Abdullatif Almarashi,
Noor Alharbi,
Areej Bin-Sadek,
Ali Dammas,
Khlied Alharbi
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
american journal of health, medicine and nursing practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2520-4017
DOI - 10.47672/ajhmn.696
Subject(s) - medicine , personal protective equipment , infection control , cross sectional study , health care , covid-19 , transmission (telecommunications) , intubation , emergency medicine , surgery , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty) , pathology , electrical engineering , economics , economic growth , engineering
Objectives: The study explores the main health care workers (HCWs) clinical characteristics and related behaviors with procedures that impose risk of acquiring COVID.19 infection.
Method: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at East Jeddah Hospital. 100 Health Care worker participants who were detected as COVID-19 cases from March to July 2020 was obtained from the infection control department, and these HCWs were asked to fill out a questionnaire designed for this study. Data was analyzed using SPSS, and categorical data presented as counts and proportions.
Results: Among the100 HCWs who contracted COVID-19, there was a marked predominance of females (69.0%) over males (31.0%). When dealing with COVID-19 cases, 93.1% of HCWs reported wearing a surgical mask and 61% an N95 mask, while only 69–80% reported wearing gloves, a disposable gown and eye protection. The procedures found to increase the risk of infection were taking nasopharyngeal swabs (23.0%), inserting nasogastric tubes (22.0%), ventilation (17.0%), and tracheal intubation (14.0%).
Conclusion: This study confirms that noncompliance with the use of PPE as well as performing a specific procedure and working in close contact (<1.5 meters) for longer than 20 minutes increased the risk of infection. No minimal protective measures against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Recommendation: Analysis of the data obtained in this study demonstrates the significant of using personal protective equipment's effectively among health care workers and its vital role in reducing rate of infection transmission. However, further cohort study required in the same field to obtain a comprehensive outcomes.