Online ISSN: 2515-8260

Author : Akshay Joglekar, Neelam Attar, Nasreen Bagwan Malik,


COVID 19 infection in Health care workers working in COVID and non COVID facility: A Retrospective cohort study

Neelam Attar, Nasreen Bagwan Malik, Akshay Joglekar

European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine, 2023, Volume 10, Issue 2, Pages 1112-1117

We plan to study the prevalence of COVID infection in the health care
workers working both in COVID and non-COVID facility and also identify source of
infection, the demographic pattern, difference in infection rate in health care workers
working in COVID facility and non-COVID facility, compliance to use of PPE and
following social distancing norms.Material Method:The RT PCR Positive health care
workers were interviewed telephonically with informed consent for presence of
symptoms, source of infection, method of donning and doffing of PPE while working in
COVID and Non COVID facility, social distancing norms followed or not followed.
Result: 117 staffs got tested. 40 found positive by RT PCR. The infection rate was more
amongst staff working in non-COVID facility (65%) in comparison to COVID facility
(22.5%). Infection rate among nursing staff was the highest (40%), followed by Doctors
(35%), technicians and attendants. Male were more affected than females. 25 staffs
reported not wearing appropriate PPE, 16 staffs reported breaching social distancing
protocol. Conclusion: Though all health care workers are equally trained during
COVID pandemic, there is somehow low adherence to infection prevention practices
among the health care workers working in non-COVID facility, thereby increasing the
risk to infection. Non COVID facility staffs need to be specifically targeted for training
and implementation of infection prevention practices