Factors Associated With Nosocomial COVID-19 Infection Among Health Care Workers in an Urban-Setting Malaysia Hospital

Abstract

This single-center study aimed to explore the factors associated with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) transmission in a hospital. All laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases among health care workers (HCWs) in a tertiary hospital in Malaysia were analyzed cross-sectionally from January 25, 2020, to September 10, 2021. A total of 897 HCWs in the hospital had laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection during the study period. Around 37.4% of HCWs were suspected to acquire COVID-19 infection from the hospital workplace. Factors associated with lower odds of workplace COVID-19 transmission were being females, ≥30 years old, fully vaccinated, and working as clinical support staff. Involvement in COVID-19 patient care was significantly associated with higher odds (adjusted odds ratio = 3.53, 95% confidence interval: [2.42, 5.12]) of workplace COVID-19 transmission as compared with non-workplace transmission. Most HCWs in the tertiary hospital acquired COVID-19 infection from non-workplace settings. During a pandemic, it is important to communicate with HCWs about the risk of both workplace and non-workplace COVID-19 transmission and to implement measures to reduce both workplace and non-workplace COVID-19 transmission.

Epidemiology, risk factors, and vaccine effectiveness for SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers during the omicron pandemic in Shanghai, China

“…Younger age was associated with an increased risk of infection in our study, consistent with the findings of previous studies [ [17] , [18] , [19] ]. Three possible reasons can explain this result: First, younger HCWs had less risk perception and inadequate adherence to IPC measures, such as proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and social distancing.…”

“…As for another core demographic factor of sex, although the infection rate was higher in women HCWs than their men counterparts, there was no significant association between sex and SARS-CoV-2 infection in the multivariate analysis. The impact of sex on COVID-19 acquisition reported from existing literatures varied across different periods of epidemic [ 18 , 19 , 23 ]. Recent studies reported an inverse infection risk with regard to sex, with higher risk in men before the Omicron period and lower risk in men during the Omicron epidemic [ 21 , 22 ].…”

“…Nurses and medical assistants have been frequently reported as professionals at a higher risk of occupational COVID-19 in several studies [ 6 , 17 , 19 , [21] , [22] , [23] , [24] , [25] , [26] ]. Although we observed higher infection rates among nurses and medical technicians, the impact of occupation was not confirmed at multivariate analysis.…”

Resilience, Coping Self-Efficacy, and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms among Healthcare Workers Who Work with Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Greece

“…The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-5 [ 4 ] states that “experiencing repeated or extreme exposure to aversive details of the traumatic event(s)” can be regarded as potentially traumatic events, and past research suggests that such circumstances may include HCWs repeated exposure to details of traumatic events [ 2 ]. Examples of exposure to stressful life experiences or potentially traumatic events that HCWs may encounter have been documented in the wider literature and may include overexposure to life threatening illnesses [ 5 ], safety concerns [ 6 ], low decision latitude and control [ 7 ], unlawful behavior by their clients and/or toward their clients [ 8 ], sudden unexpected deaths, deaths caused by suicide or homicide, or being witness to a dead body [ 6 ].…”

“…Examples of exposure to stressful life experiences or potentially traumatic events that HCWs may encounter have been documented in the wider literature and may include overexposure to life threatening illnesses [5], safety concerns [6], low decision latitude and control [7], unlawful behavior by their clients and/or toward their clients [8], sudden unexpected deaths, deaths caused by suicide or homicide, or being witness to a dead body [6].…”