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Effectiveness of personal protective equipment in preventing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection among healthcare workers.

Authors :
Suzuki T
Hayakawa K
Ainai A
Iwata-Yoshikawa N
Sano K
Nagata N
Suzuki T
Wakimoto Y
Akiyama Y
Miyazato Y
Nakamura K
Ide S
Nomoto H
Nakamoto T
Ota M
Moriyama Y
Sugiki Y
Saito S
Morioka S
Ishikane M
Kinoshita N
Kutsuna S
Ohmagari N
Source :
Journal of infection and chemotherapy : official journal of the Japan Society of Chemotherapy [J Infect Chemother] 2021 Jan; Vol. 27 (1), pp. 120-122. Date of Electronic Publication: 2020 Sep 09.
Publication Year :
2021

Abstract

Introduction: Information on the effectiveness of personal protective equipment (PPE) for preventing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among healthcare workers (HCWs), especially among HCWs with frequent contact with patients with SARS-CoV-2, is limited.<br />Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study on 49 HCWs who worked in close contact with patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. HCWs had blood samples taken every 2 weeks to test for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using two different types of assay.<br />Results: Forty-nine participants (31 nurses, 15 doctors, 3 other workers) were enrolled. In total, 112 blood samples are obtained from participants. The median work days in 2 weeks was 9 (interquartile range (IQR): 5-10) days. In a single work day, 30 of the 49 participants (61.5%) had contact with patients with suspected or conformed SARS-CoV-2 at least 8 times, and approximately 60% of participants had more than 10 min of contact with a single patient. The median self-reported compliance to PPE was 90% (IQR: 80-100%). Seven participants tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibody using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); however, none were seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody, so the positive ELISA results were assumed to be false-positive.<br />Conclusions: The study provides evidence that appropriate PPE is sufficient to prevent infection amongHCWs. It is necessary to establish a system that provides a stable supply of PPE for HCWs to perform their duties.<br />Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None.<br /> (Copyright © 2020 Japanese Society of Chemotherapy and The Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1437-7780
Volume :
27
Issue :
1
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Journal of infection and chemotherapy : official journal of the Japan Society of Chemotherapy
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
32988731
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jiac.2020.09.006