COVID-19 Screening for Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Infectious Diseases Referral Hospital in Manila, the Philippines

Abstract

COVID-19 is an emerging disease threatening the lives of patients and healthcare workers (HCWs) alike. In this article, we present initial results of COVID-19 screening performed among the hospital staff of an infectious diseases referral hospital in Manila, the Philippines. Of 324 HCWs tested, eight were positive; only one was exposed to COVID-19 patients, whereas seven others belonged to two different departments. Routine screening of hospital staff is invaluable for the safety of the HCWs and the patients in hospitals and should be performed on a regular basis. In monitoring HCWs, we protect one of our most valuable assets against COVID-19.

If Not COVID-19 What Is It? Analysis of COVID-19 versus Common Respiratory Viruses among Symptomatic Health Care Workers in a Tertiary Infectious Disease Referral Hospital in Manila, Philippines

“…Our previous publication detailed the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the 324 HCW staff tested for SARS-CoV-2 at SLH in Manila [ 5 ]. Here we subjected the same group to a panel of respiratory viral tests from March 20 to 20 April 2020.…”

“…The signs and symptoms exhibited by those who tested positive for respiratory viruses other than COVID-19 were indistinguishable from those observed among persons who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 [ 5 ]. Based upon symptoms alone it is a challenge to identify patients with acute respiratory illness (ARI) and COVID-19, primarily because their presenting signs and symptoms are almost similar at the outset.…”

“…We have reported that at SLH in Manila only 2% of HCWs were positive for SARs-CoV-2 as screened by RT-PCR (8 out of 324 HCWs screened) [ 5 ]. At that time, the criteria for screening were: (1) a history of close contact or high-risk exposure with a confirmed COVID-19 case or (2) the development of COVID-related signs and symptoms.…”

“…COVID-19 resides in the respiratory tract of the human host, and commonly exhibits URTI/LRTI-like symptoms, which overlap with those of common respiratory viral infections [ 8 ]. Because of the relatively small proportion of confirmed COVID-19 among HCWs described above [ 5 ], we sought to investigate whether HCWs who presented with these symptoms could be explained by other common respiratory viral etiologic agents.…”

Experiences, challenges and looking to the future in a clinical tuberculosis cohort in the time of COVID-19 in the Philippines

“…The infection rate among Filipino HCWs in a tertiary hospital was 2.5%. 3 Although no formal assessment of anxiety or depression was made, other reports among Filipino HCWs reported anxiety in 28–38% using different tools during the pandemic. 4 , 5 …”