Identification of the Isolation Compliance and SARS-CoV-2 Infection Status Among Nurses and Doctors Working in Intensive Care Units During the Pandemic in Turkey

Abstract

Background: Infections associated with healthcare services spread not only among patients but also among healthcare professionals. The risk of transmission is higher in intensive care units (ICUs). Objectives: This study aimed to identify the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection status and compliance with isolation precautions among doctors and nurses working in ICUs during the pandemic. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from March to May 2021 in three different status hospitals (i.e., Education and Research Hospital, University Research Hospital, and City Hospital) in two cities in eastern Turkey. The sample size was calculated at 205 individuals who were selected using the sampling method with a known population. Participants were included in the sample using the convenience sampling method. The data were collected through the sociodemographic form and compliance with isolation precautions scale (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.85, explained variance ratio = 50.50%, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin = 0.872, Bartlett’s test: P < 0.05). The data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 18) using descriptive and inference statistics. Results: The participants’ average age was 29.95 ± 7.16 years. Moreover, 66.3% of the participants were females, and 77.6% were nurses. The doctors and nurses displayed good compliance with isolation precautions (77.6% [n = 159] and 22.4% [n = 46] of the participants were nurses and doctors, respectively). Furthermore, 40% of the ICU healthcare professionals had a SARS-CoV-2 infection diagnosis, and a significant relationship was observed between having this diagnosis and the diagnosis of other individuals who were sharing the same house (P < 0.001). In addition, statistically significant relationships were observed between having a SARS-CoV-2 infection diagnosis and the duration of working with SARS-CoV-2 patients, hand hygiene and related attitudes, removing masks in common areas, implementing procedures producing aerosols, and inadequacies in the use of protective equipment during close contact with SARS-CoV-2 patients (P > 0.05). Conclusions: The transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare workers was not related to the interventions they made in the hospital. Healthcare workers should pay attention to domestic contamination.