SARS-COV-2 EXPOSURE CHARACTERISTICS OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS AT THE FRONTLINE HOSPITAL IN 2020
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Abstract
From October to December 2020, a cross-sectional study was conducted to describe the characteristics of SARS-COV-2 exposure among healthcare workers (HCWs) at frontline hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC): Hospital for Tropical Diseases, University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City, and Trung Vuong Hospital. Research data was collected on 204 HCWs using self-administered questionnaires. The study's results revealed that HCWs had to have initial contact (screening and emergency areas) with patients in an air-conditioned enclosed space with a high rate (76.6%). In the respiratory, the infectious and the isolation ward, HCWs had to be exposed to a large number of patients in higher-risk work environments r=0.41 (p=0.01); r=0.58 (p<0.05) and r=0.51 (p<0.05), respectively. In infectious and isolation wards, HCWs with underlying medical conditions were likely to be exposed to a larger number of patients with r=0.66 (p=0.01) and r=0.51 (p<0.001), respectively. The findings suggest the need for strategies to improve HCWs' protection in patient care settings.
Article Details
Keywords
SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, COVID-19 exposure, healthcare workers, frontline hospital
References
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