Forward Action Plan for adherence to Infection Prevention And Control to Health Care Workers During Care For Suspected or Confirmed Covid-19 Patients

Abstract

Background: Healthcare workers are the frontline armies in the fight against the Corona virus \ndisease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and their safety should be an urgent focus in the global \nresponse to the pandemic. The study aims to suggests a forward action plan for adherence to \ninfection prevention and control to health care workers during care for suspected or confirmed \nCovid-19 patients at Hospitals based on gaps, weaknesses, and barriers from health care workers \n(HCWs) perspective. Design: A cross-sectional study was used. Tools: A validated electronic self- \nassessment tool built-in Google drive and was distributed to HCWs who have been exposed to the \npatient(s)with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 in at different Cities (Zagazig city, Mansoura city, \nand Cairo city) in Egypt. Two tools were used 1) included three sections: personal and job \ncharacteristics of HCWs, the COVID-19 infection rate among HCWs, adherence of HCWs to \ninfection prevention and control during health care, and 2) the barriers to applying preventive \nmeasures. EQUATOR research checklist (STROBE) were used by the researchers. Results: Around \n439 HCWs participated in the study; 225 were males and 214 were females. (63.1%) of the \nrespondents were nurses. (59.7%) of the respondents were contacted and 13.2% were infected and \nCOVID-19 test results were positive. Conclusions: Strengths in adherence of HCWs regarding \ntriage, early recognition, and source control, standard precaution for all patients, empiric additional \nprecautions, wearing and removing protective equipment and administrative controls play important \nrole in infection control. However, a number of gaps and weaknesses were revealed in applying \npreventive measures to control infection with COVID-19.