Risk of COVID-19 due to Shortage of Personal Protective Equipment

Jain, Uday

doi:10.7759/cureus.8837

Cited by 33 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 20 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…32 Healthcare workers at high risk are safe when appropriate PPEs are used while caring for COVID-19 patients; however, a shortage of PPEs could put them at substantial risk of becoming infected with SARS-COV-2. 33 The translation of high risk of COVID-19 virus infection into a positive COVID-19 test has been reported in the US. 28 For HCWs at high risk of COVID-19 virus infection, WHO recommends suspension of all forms of healthcare interactions with patients, being/getting tested for COVID-19 and quarantined for 14 days.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Healthcare Workers Exposure Risk Assessment: A Survey among Frontline Workers in Designated COVID-19 Treatment Centers in Ghana

Ashinyo

Dubik

Duti³

et al. 2020

J Prim Care Community Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are faced with an elevated risk of exposure to SARS-COV-2 due to the clinical procedures they perform on COVID-19 patients. However, data for frontline HCWs level of exposure and risk of COVID-19 virus infection are limited. Objective: We investigated the level of exposure and risk of COVID-19 virus infection among HCWs in COVID-19 treatment centers in Ghana. Methods: A cross-sectional study was utilized in this study and HCWs were invited by convenience to participate in the study, 408 HCWs in 4 COVID-19 treatment centers participated in the study. Adherence to infection prevention and control (IPC) measures were used to categorized HCWs as low or high risk of COVID-19 virus infection. The WHO COVID-19 risk assessment tool was used to collect quantitative data from the study participants. Results: There was a high (N = 328, 80.4%) level of occupational exposure to the COVID-19 virus. However, only 14.0% of the exposed HCWs were at high risk of COVID-19 virus infection. Healthcare workers who performed or were present during any aerosol-generating procedures (AGP) were 23.8 times more likely to be exposed compared to HCWs who did not perform or were absent during any AGP (AOR 23.83; 95% CI: 18.45, 39.20). High risk of COVID-19 virus infection was less likely among registered nurses (AOR = 0.09; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.60), HCWs who performed or were present during any AGP (AOR = 0.05; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.50) and HCWs with a master’s degree qualification (AOR 0.06; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.63). Conclusion: Despite the high level of exposure to the COVID-19 virus among HCWs in the treatment centers, only 14.0% were at high risk of COVID-19 virus infection. To protect this group of HCWs, treatment centers and HCWs should continue to adhere to WHO and national IPC protocols in managing of COVID-19 cases.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Healthcare Workers Exposure Risk Assessment: A Survey among Frontline Workers in Designated COVID-19 Treatment Centers in Ghana

Ashinyo

Dubik

Duti³

et al. 2020

J Prim Care Community Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Supply shortages of PPE have been previously reported during the pandemic as well as the role they could play in nosocomial infection. ( 53 , 54 , 55 ) Therefore, while heightened IPC protocols may assist in further control of HAIs, an ongoing challenge will be balancing these measures with other immediate clinical demands.…”

Section: Covid-19 and Infection Prevention And Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

The interface between COVID-19 and bacterial healthcare-associated infections

O'Toole

2021

Clinical Microbiology and Infection

131

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background A wide range of bacterial infections occur in COVID-19 patients, particularly, in those with severe coronaviral disease. Some of these are community acquired co-infections. Objective To review recent data which indicate the occurrence of hospital-onset bacterial infections, including with antibiotic-resistant isolates, in COVID-19 patients. Sources Using PubMed, the literature was searched using terms including: “COVID-19”; “SARS-CoV-2”; “bacterial infection”; “healthcare-associated infection”; “antibiotic resistance”; “antimicrobial resistance”; “multi-drug resistance”; “ Streptococcus ”; “ Staphylococcus ”; “ Pseudomonas ”; “ Escherichia ”; “ Klebsiella ”; “ Enterococcus ”; “ Acinetobacter ”; “ Haemophilus ”; “MRSA”; “VRE”; “ESBL”; “NDM-CRE”; “CR-Ab”; “VRSA”; “MDR”. Content There is a growing number of reports of bacterial infections acquired by patients with severe COVID-19 after hospital admission. Antibiotic-resistant pathogens found to cause healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in COVID-19 patients include Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), New Delhi Metallo-β-lactamase-producing Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales (NDM-CRE), Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CR-Ab), Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase (ESBL) Klebsiella pneumoniae , and Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE). COVID-19 has impacted bacterial HAIs in a number of ways with an increase in the incidence of NDM-CRE and CR-Ab reported at some hospital sites compared to before the pandemic. Recommended guidelines for antimicrobial stewardship in COVID-19 patient treatment are discussed regarding minimisation of empiric broad-spectrum antibiotic use. Other studies have reported a decrease in MRSA and VRE cases that has been attributed to enhanced infection prevention and control (IPC) practices introduced to minimise intra-hospital spread of COVID-19. Implications Poorer outcomes have been observed in hospitalised COVID-19 patients with an antibiotic-resistant infection. While heightened IPC measures have been accompanied by a reduction in some HAIs at specific sites, in other situations, COVID-19 has been associated with an increase in bacterial HAI incidence. Further research is needed to define the cost-benefit relationship of maintaining COVID-19-related IPC protocols beyond the pandemic to reduce the burden of HAIs. In addition, the longer-term impact of high usage of certain broad-spectrum antibiotics during the COVID-19 pandemic requires evaluation.

show abstract

“…A study from China reported which results in improved radiologic findings, enhanced viral clearance, and reduced disease progression by treating successfully with CQ on 100 COVID-19 cases. 31 When treatment given to 6 patients, then it is observed that as compared to HCQ monotherapy (8/14, 57%) the combination of azithromycin with HCQ (6/6, 100%) results in numerically superior viral clearance. 32 …”

Section: Hydroxychloroquine (Hcq) Andchloroquine (Cq)mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Challenges and Successes of Dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic in India

Sharma¹,

Sharma²,

Tiwari³

et al. 2021

RRTM

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

As the infectivity of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is higher compared with other coronaviruses reported so far, so effective therapeutics and vaccines are the best way to control the proliferation of this infection The COVID-19 mortality rate is lower compared with other similar viral diseases such as severe acute respiratory Ssndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). However, due to the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 mutants that are responsible for the subsequent waves, mortality due to COVID-19 has increased across the globe. Currently, the magnitude of SARS-CoV-2 infection is highly severe and is leading to a tremendously increased number of deaths globally. Scientists expect that SARS-CoV-2 has the potential to become a seasonal disease like influenza and may persist with humanity in the future. Currently, preventive strategies such as sanitation, social distancing, use of masks, potential chemotherapies (pathogen-centric and host-centric), and vaccines are the only option to fight against COVID-19. Many groups of Indian government-public private consortia had set up different strategies (development of multiple vaccines) for combat of this unique threat through stepssuch as an increase in vaccinations and sample testing per day. In this focused review, we have discussed the challenges faced and success stories employed to manage COVID-19.

show abstract

Risk of COVID-19 due to Shortage of Personal Protective Equipment

Cited by 33 publications

References 20 publications

Healthcare Workers Exposure Risk Assessment: A Survey among Frontline Workers in Designated COVID-19 Treatment Centers in Ghana

Healthcare Workers Exposure Risk Assessment: A Survey among Frontline Workers in Designated COVID-19 Treatment Centers in Ghana

The interface between COVID-19 and bacterial healthcare-associated infections

The Challenges and Successes of Dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic in India

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About