Non-Pharmacological Preventive Measures Had an Impact on COVID-19 in Healthcare Workers before the Vaccination Effect: A Cohort Study

Utzet, Mireia; Benavides, Fernando G.; Villar, Rocío; Burón, Andrea; Sala, María; López, Luis-Eugenio; Gomar, Pau; Castells, Xavier; Díaz, Pilar; Ramada, José María; Serra, Consol

doi:10.3390/ijerph19063628

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…For example, the MA by Chu et al [69], published at the beginning of the pandemic, addresses mask and eye protection as a means to prevent the occurrence of COVID-19. Chou et al [23] conducted an updated MA study of the effectiveness of mask wearing in preventing SARS-CoV-2, while Alkhalaf et al [70] focused on dentistry, and Utzet et al [71] focused specifically on HCWs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Non-Pharmacological Strategies and Interventions for Effective COVID-19 Control: A Narrative Review

Aho Glele,

de Rougemont

2023

JCM

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The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on the world, causing widespread illness and death. Focusing on prevention strategies to limit the spread of the disease remains essential. Despite the advent of vaccines, maintaining a vigilant approach to prevention remains paramount. We reviewed effective strategies to prevent COVID-19 transmission, including various prevention measures and interventions and both established practices and unresolved issues that have been addressed in meta-analyses, literature reviews, or in the health care context. Standard precautions are the cornerstone of infection control, with hand hygiene and mask use as key components. The use of surgical masks is recommended to prevent droplet transmission, while eye protection is recommended in combination with masks. In terms of room occupancy, ventilation is critical in reducing the risk of transmission in poorly ventilated environments. Chemical disinfection of indoor air with Triethylene glycol-based products can provide safe additional protection. Since viral RNA detection on surfaces does not necessarily indicate infectivity, the risk of transmission by surface contact remains low if surfaces are properly maintained and hand hygiene is practiced regularly. Thus, prevention of SARS-CoV-2 transmission requires a multifaceted approach, including reducing particle emissions from infected persons by wearing masks, eliminating aerosols by ventilation and air treatment, ensuring physical separation, and protecting exposed persons with masks and eye protection.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Non-Pharmacological Strategies and Interventions for Effective COVID-19 Control: A Narrative Review

Aho Glele,

de Rougemont

2023

JCM

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“…The only possible responses rested with nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) in the general community. While we recognise the essential roles of NPIs in the case of healthcare workers in hospitals, other clinical settings and aged care/disability facilities, their contributions to preventing transmission of the virus in these settings are discussed elsewhere [ 5 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is COVID-19 as Lethal as the Spanish Flu? The Australian Experience in 1919 and 2020 and the Role of Nonpharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs)

Vicziany,

Piterman,

Wattanapenpaiboon

2024

IJERPH

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We conducted a comparative historical study to interrogate Professor Peter Doherty’s warning to Australians in April 2020 that ‘COVID-19 is just as lethal as the Spanish flu’. We identified the epicentres of both pandemics, namely, metropolitan Sydney in 1919 and metropolitan Melbourne in 2020 and compared the lethality of the Spanish Flu and COVID-19 in these two cities. Lethality was measured by the number and rate of hospital admissions, death rates, age-specific death rates and age-standardised mortality rates (ASMRs). Using these measures, we demonstrated the strikingly different waves of infection, their severity at various points in time and the cumulative impact of the viruses by the end of our study period, i.e., 30 September in 1919 and 2020. Hospital admissions and deaths from the Spanish Flu in 1919 were more than 30 times higher than those for COVID-19 in 2020. The ASMR per 100,000 population for the Spanish Flu was 383 compared to 7 for COVID-19- the former was about 55 times higher than the latter. These results suggest that the Spanish Flu was more lethal than COVID-19. Professor Doherty’s warning was perhaps taken seriously and that partly explains the findings of this study. Containing infection in 1919 and 2020 threw the burden on nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as ‘protective sequestration’ (quarantine), contact tracing, lockdowns and masks. It is likely that the persistent and detailed contact tracing scheme provides the best possible explanation for why NPIs in 2020 were more effective than in 1919 and therefore contributed to the lower lethality of the COVID-19 pandemic in its first year.

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“…World Health Organization advisories were issued to limit the spread of the contagion. Various studies have advocated for non-pharmacological measures to reduce the rate of reproduction of COVID-19 cases [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. Mathematical calculations were performed to identify the effects of imposing and lifting measures on the number of COVID-19 positive cases, whereas other methods to predict the evolution of the epidemic crisis were considered, such as the exposome [ 12 ] or Index c [ 13 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Non-Pharmacological Measures Implemented in the Management of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Romania

et al. 2022

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The management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Romania has included the involvement of not only the medical system, but also that of the administrative and social services. All these organizations are working together to lower the impact on the health of the general population, to increase the health system’s response capabilities and even to diminish the negative effects upon the economy due to the epidemic’s length. Therefore, non-pharmacological measures (NPMs) imposed through restrictive measures (administrative, economic and individual) have influenced the evolution of morbidity and mortality. Even from the first months of the pandemic’s progression, researchers have shown the impact of the NPMs’ existence, as there were many studies on all NPMs in conjunction, as well as those targeting specific measures such as school closures. Our study started by establishing a temporal relationship between the non-pharmacological measures found in most countries (wearing a mask, washing hands and physical distancing, limiting economic activities, closing schools, limiting internal and international movement, banning public and private events in closed spaces) and the evolution of the pandemic in Romania. The degree of novelty brought by this study consists of extending the analysis to the pre-existing state of the health system and to the measures meant to increase the resilience of the population, as well as to the measures aimed at reducing the type of risk, and factors that can equally influence the evolution of the number of cases. The results of the statistical analysis show the important effects of certain NPMs (mask mandates, online schooling, decisions regarding imposing or lifting local restrictions) as well as the reduced impact of other measures (hand disinfection, social distancing or the restriction of public and private events). Hence, it can be concluded that during such pandemics, implementing quick, simple measures can prevent the spread of the disease and help fight the contagion in a better manner.

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Non-Pharmacological Preventive Measures Had an Impact on COVID-19 in Healthcare Workers before the Vaccination Effect: A Cohort Study

Cited by 6 publications

References 23 publications

Non-Pharmacological Strategies and Interventions for Effective COVID-19 Control: A Narrative Review

Non-Pharmacological Strategies and Interventions for Effective COVID-19 Control: A Narrative Review

Is COVID-19 as Lethal as the Spanish Flu? The Australian Experience in 1919 and 2020 and the Role of Nonpharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs)

Evaluation of Non-Pharmacological Measures Implemented in the Management of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Romania

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