Risk Factors Associated with COVID-19 Infected Healthcare Workers in Muscat Governorate, Oman

Abstract

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread rapidly worldwide, causing a global public health crisis. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are vulnerable due to their role in the management of COVID-19 infected patients. As of June 2020, a total of 847 HCWs in Oman had reportedly contracted COVID-19, with an incidence rate of 1.47%. This study therefore aimed to identify factors associated with COVID-19 infection among HCWs in Muscat Governorate, Oman, as well as to evaluate adherence to infection prevention and control (IPC) measures. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved cases of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection among HCWs working under the Directorate General of Health Services of Muscat Governorate, Ministry of Health, between February and June 2020. Data regarding the participants’ sociodemographic characteristics, risk factors, pre-existing medical conditions, and adherence to IPC measures were collected using a self-administered questionnaire distributed via a web-based mobile application. Results: A total of 126 HCWs with confirmed COVID-19 infection participated in the study. Of these, 72.2% were female, 53.2% worked in primary care facilities, and 61.1% were medical doctors or nurses. Only 18.1% were over 45 years of age and 30.2% had pre-existing medical conditions. While 29.4% had never received IPC training, the majority followed recommended hand hygiene practice (96.8%) and social distancing protocols (93.7%) and wore protective facemasks for routine patient care (96.9%). Conclusion: While the majority of HCWs followed crucial IPC measures, one-third had never received specific IPC training or faced restrictions on PPE use. HCWs, including those in housekeeping and administrative functions are recommended to undergo rigorous IPC training. In addition, high-risk HCWs could be assigned duties away from active COVID 19 cases. It is recommended to restructure health facilities for better adherence to IPC standards.

Factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection amongst healthcare workers in a COVID-19 designated hospital

“…To minimize healthcare workers’ susceptibility to respiratory infections, such as COVID-19, a comprehensive risk factor assessment is merited [ 12 ]. Several authors have addressed this through multiple types of questionnaires [ 13 , 14 ]. However, most of the questionnaires used have focused on certain demographics or particular infection control practices.…”

Increased Adherence to Infection Control Practices Among Medical Laboratory Technicians During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Self-Reported Survey Study

“…Adherence of MLT to infection control guidelines is of the utmost importance to reduce their risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 [ 20 21 ]. The adherence to these guidelines can be influenced by multiple factors including educational level, training on laboratory safety, and years of experience [ 22 ].…”

Adesão à higienização das mãos como controle de infecção hospitalar na pandemia da COVID-19: Revisão bibliográfica

“…Em 2020 a OMS lançou a campanha "lave as mãos, salve vidas" (OMS, 2020) a fim de reduzir a transmissão e contágio pelo novo coronavírus, no entanto, os resultados desta revisão mostram que a higienização das mãos pelos profissionais de saúde acontece, na grande parte das vezes, apenas mediante ao contato com o paciente (Agarwal et al 2021;Husain 2020;Derksen, Keller & Lippke, 2020;Al Abri, Al Zeedi & Al Lawati, 2021;Afemikhe et al 2020;Abbas et al 2020;Huang, Q et al 2021). Agarwal et al (2021) mostraram que nos meses de julho e agosto de 2020, frequentemente, 78,56% dos profissionais de saúde de diferentes lugares da Índia cumprimentavam os colegas com aperto de mãos, 62,76% tocavam nariz, boca e olhos sem higienizar as mãos, apenas 52,82% seguiam as normas de higienização das mãos preconizadas pela OMS e 67,89% higienizavam as mãos após ter contato com pacientes.…”

“…Huang, Q et al (2021) mostraram uma associação direta da baixa adesão à higienização ao maior número de infectados. Já Al Abri, Al Zeedi & Al Lawati (2021) evidenciaram ótima adesão pelos profissionais infectados (96,8%). Os autores mostram também que as mulheres enfermeiras foram os profissionais infectados que apresentaram maior nível de ansiedade, o que foi responsável pela baixa adesão à higienização das mãos (Huang, Q et al 2021).…”