Glob Health Med . Specific COVID-19 risk behaviors and the preventive effect of personal protective equipment among healthcare workers in Japan

[tetano]

Glob Health Med


. 2023 Feb 28;5(1):5-14.
doi: 10.35772/ghm.2022.01060.
Specific COVID-19 risk behaviors and the preventive effect of personal protective equipment among healthcare workers in Japan


Reiko Shimbashi ¹ , Teiichiro Shiino ^{2 3} , Akira Ainai ⁴ , Saya Moriyama ⁵ , Satoru Arai ¹ , Saeko Morino ¹ , Sayaka Takanashi ¹ , Takeshi Arashiro ¹ , Motoi Suzuki ¹ , Yukimasa Matsuzawa ¹ , Kenichiro Kato ⁶ , Mitsuru Hasegawa ⁷ , Rie Koshida ⁸ , Masami Kitaoka ⁸ , Takafumi Ueno ⁹ , Hidefumi Shimizu ¹⁰ , Hiroyoshi Yuki ¹¹ , Tomoko Takeda ¹² , Fukumi Nakamura-Uchiyama ¹³ , Kashiya Takasugi ¹⁴ , Shun Iida ⁴ , Tomoe Shimada ¹⁵ , Hirofumi Kato ¹⁶ , Tsuguto Fujimoto ¹⁷ , Naoko Iwata-Yoshikawa ⁴ , Kaori Sano ⁴ , Souichi Yamada ¹⁶ , Yudai Kuroda ¹⁸ , Kazu Okuma ^{19 20} , Kiyoko Nojima ¹⁹ , Noriyo Nagata ⁴ , Shuetsu Fukushi ¹⁶ , Ken Maeda ¹⁸ , Yoshimasa Takahashi ⁵ , Tadaki Suzuki ⁴ , Makoto Ohnishi ²¹ , Keiko Tanaka-Taya ^{1 22}



Affiliations

• PMID: 36865900
• PMCID: PMC9974228
• DOI: 10.35772/ghm.2022.01060

Abstract

As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreaks in healthcare facilities are a serious public health concern, we performed a case-control study to investigate the risk of COVID-19 infection in healthcare workers. We collected data on participants' sociodemographic characteristics, contact behaviors, installation status of personal protective equipment, and polymerase chain reaction testing results. We also collected whole blood and assessed seropositivity using the electrochemiluminescence immunoassay and microneutralization assay. In total, 161 (8.5%) of 1,899 participants were seropositive between August 3 and November 13, 2020. Physical contact (adjusted odds ratio 2.4, 95% confidence interval 1.1-5.6) and aerosol-generating procedures (1.9, 1.1-3.2) were associated with seropositivity. Using goggles (0.2, 0.1-0.5) and N95 masks (0.3, 0.1-0.8) had a preventive effect. Seroprevalence was higher in the outbreak ward (18.6%) than in the COVID-19 dedicated ward (1.4%). Results showed certain specific risk behaviors of COVID-19; proper infection prevention practices reduced these risks.

Keywords: personal protective equipment; risk factors; seroepidemiology.