Li et al. reported health care worker (HCW) deaths from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) ( 1 ). HCWs are at risk of COVID-19 from nosocomial transmission and community acquisitions ( 2 ). Since the first imported case of COVID-19 from Wuhan, China, on January 23, 2020, the number of locally acquired COVID-19 cases has increased in Singapore. To break the chain of disease transmission, Singapore implemented the 'Circuit Breaker' measures between April 07, 2020 and June 01, 2020 ( 3 ). The measures included the closure of nonessential workplaces and schools, suspension of religious activities, movement restrictions, mandatory use of face masks in public areas, and safe distancing measures ( 3 ). Since the lifting of the measures on June 02, 2020, hospitals have resumed non-COVID-19related clinical services including clinically-indicated elective surgeries and chronic disease clinics. Furthermore, with the gradual resumption of economic activities and essential travel, an increase in the community transmission of COVID-19 can be expected.Early identification of COVID-19-infected HCWs can detect viral transmission, determine the effectiveness of control measures, and prevent onward transmission to patients and co-workers in healthcare settings ( 1 , 4 , 5 ). At the 1600-bed Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) and its co-located 330-bed National Centre for Infectious Disease (NCID), the designated center for emerging infectious disease outbreaks including COVID-19, a comprehensive staff sickness surveillance system has been implemented for > 10,0 0 0 HCWs ( 6 ). The system initially comprised an online temperature and sickness reporting platform and medical screening for COVID-19 in unwell HCWs working in COVID-19-related work areas at the TTSH's Emergency Department or NCID's COVID-19 Screening Center (SC). In preparation for the easing of "Circuit Breaker" measures, the HCW sickness surveillance system was enhanced to include SARS-CoV-2 swab testing for all HCWs with fever or symptoms of acute respiratory infection (ARI) from May 06, 2020 regardless of exposure risk. In addition to NCID's SC, TTSH's Occupational Health Clinic (OHC) also performed SARS-CoV-2 swab testing for all HCWs with fever or ARI symptoms. HCWs who had attended a primary care clinic near their homes were required to be tested for SARS-CoV-2 either at the clinic or the OHC. We compare the epidemiology of sick HCWs and describe the effectiveness of the enhanced HCW ARI surveillance program in COVID-19 detection, in the last month of the "Circuit Breaker" and the first month after the lifting of the "Circuit Breaker".We present data from May 06, 2020 to June 30, 2020 corresponding to the 4 weeks before (period A) and after (period B) the lifting of the 'Circuit Breaker' on June 02, 2020. A total of 997 sickness episodes from 874 HCWs (434 in period A and 440 in period B) were included ( Figure 1 ). The median age was 31
Objective Real-time locating systems (RTLS) enable contact tracing and hand hygiene reminders, to improve hospital safety. Successful implementation requires healthcare personnel (HCP) to carry RTLS tags continuously. We assessed for determinants of HCP’s willingness to use RTLS tags during routine inpatient care, and evaluated concerns using mixed-methods analysis. Materials and Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study in the 330-bed purpose-built National Centre for Infectious Diseases in Singapore, from January 15 through February 4, 2020. The anonymous survey comprised 24 questions based on constructs from behavioral models and an open-ended question. Principal component analysis was performed to derive the latent factor structure applied in the multivariable logistic regression analysis. Concerns were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Of 260 HCP (nurses [40.8%], ancillary and administrative staff [23.1%], allied health professionals [18.5%], and physicians [17.7%]), 75% were willing to use the RTLS tag. After adjusting for age, gender, healthcare professional group, and duration of practice, the acceptance of the use of the RTLS tag (adjusted OR 11.28 [95% CI 4.39–29.00], P < .001) was highly associated with the willingness to use the RTLS tag. HCP who perceived the tag to be easy to use (adjusted OR 2.80 [95% CI 1.37–5.72], P = .005), were also more willing to use the tag. HCP were willing to carry the RTLS tag for the purpose of contact tracing despite privacy concerns. Conclusion More communications on the intentions and data protection standards of the RTLS, and accessory enhancements for HCP’s convenient and sustained use of the RTLS tag are crucial, to optimize RTLS’s usefulness during the COVID-19 pandemic.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.