A Multi-center Retrospective Analysis of Healthcare Workers after COVID-19: Epidemiological and Clinical Features

Objective: Concerns regarding the high-level risk of infection among healthcare workers (HCWs) increased after COVID19 was declared as a pandemic in March 2020. Inadequate infection control owing to a shortage of personal protective equipment or an inconvenient usage of infection control measures ma...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical and experimental health sciences (Online) 2022-09, Vol.12 (3), p.697-701
Main Authors: DERİN, Okan, AKSOY, Nilay, ÇAYDAŞI, Ozge, YILMAZ, Mehmet, MERT, Ali
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Asymptomatic
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Disease control
Disease transmission
Infections
Medical personnel
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Summary:Objective: Concerns regarding the high-level risk of infection among healthcare workers (HCWs) increased after COVID19 was declared as a pandemic in March 2020. Inadequate infection control owing to a shortage of personal protective equipment or an inconvenient usage of infection control measures may play a significant role in transmission to/among healthcare personnel. The study aimed to determine the characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 patients who are healthcare workers along with possible transmission routes of COVID-19 in four different healthcare facilities in Istanbul. Methods: All hospital records were reviewed retrospectively. Demographic and clinical characteristics of HCWs were documented, and all infected HCWs were subjected to a phone-based mini-questionnaire and three-dimensional test (TDT). All statistical analyses were done using statistical packages SPSS Demo Ver 22 (SPSS Inc. Chicago, IL, USA). Results: Clinical features of COVID-19 were similar to the general public’s characteristics. The most frequent symptoms were cough, fever, and headache. HCWs with the O blood group tend to have asymptomatic COVID-19 infection. Hospital workers other than medical professionals have a lack of convenience of infection control measures. The median duration of PCR negativity was 9 days. HCWs who had a sore throat at the beginning of COVID-19 have a longer PCR-positive duration. Conclusion: Understanding the clinical features or characteristics of asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers may aid in the implementation of a feasible screening program for early detection. It is strongly advised that proper infection control precautions, education, and auditing of nonclinical staff be implemented. As a result, transmission among healthcare workers can be avoided.
ISSN:2459-1459
2459-1459
DOI:10.33808/clinexphealthsci.1012880