ObjectivesTo provide systematically evaluated evidence of prospective associations between exposure to physical, psychological and gender-based violence and health among healthcare, social care and ...education workers.MethodsThe guidelines on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses were followed. Medline, Cinahl, Web of Science and PsycInfo were searched for population: human service workers; exposure: workplace violence; and study type: prospective or longitudinal in articles published 1990–August 2019. Quality assessment was performed based on a modified version of the Cochrane’s ‘Tool to Assess Risk of Bias in Cohort Studies’.ResultsAfter deduplication, 3566 studies remained, of which 132 articles were selected for full-text screening and 28 were included in the systematic review. A majority of the studies focused on healthcare personnel, were from the Nordic countries and were assessed to have medium quality. Nine of 11 associations between physical violence and poor mental health were statistically significant, and 3 of 4 associations between physical violence and sickness absence. Ten of 13 associations between psychological violence and poor mental health were statistically significant and 6 of 6 associations between psychological violence and sickness absence. The only study on gender-based violence and health reported a statistically non-significant association.ConclusionThere is consistent evidence mainly in medium quality studies of prospective associations between psychological violence and poor mental health and sickness absence, and between physical violence and poor mental health in human service workers. More research using objective outcomes, improved exposure assessment and that focus on gender-based violence is needed.
The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed health workers to a diverse set of hazards impacting their physical, psychological and social wellbeing. This review aims to provide an overview of the categories of ...the psychosocial risk factors and hazards affecting HCWs during the Covid-19 pandemic and the recommendations for prevention. We used the scoping review methodology to collate categories of psychosocial risks, the related health outcomes, interventions, and data gaps. The review was conducted on global peer-reviewed academic and authoritative grey literature, published between 1. January-26. October 2020; in total, 220 articles were included into the review and the subsequent analysis. Analysis of the extracted data found PSRs related to four sources: personal protective equipment (PPE), job content, work organisation, and social context. is. Women health workers and nurses reported worst health outcomes. Majority of the research to date concerns health workers in secondary care, while data on psychosocial risks at primary and community-based settings are scarce. However, the emerging research implies that the pandemic creates psychosocial risks also to non-clinical health workers. The intervention and mitigation measures address individual and organisational levels. Preventative and mitigating measures for social and societal risks-such as staff shortages, intersecting inequalities, and financial stressors require further research.
Summary Seasonal influenza vaccine uptake rate of healthcare workers (HCWs) varies widely from <5% to >90% worldwide. Perception of vaccine efficacy and side-effects are conventional factors ...affecting the uptake rates. These factors may operate on a personal and social level, impacting the attitudes and behaviours of HCWs. Vaccination rates were also under the influence of the occurrence of other non-seasonal influenza pandemics such as avian influenza. Different strategies have been implemented to improve vaccine uptake, with important ones including the enforcement of the local authority’s recommendations, promulgation of practice guidelines, and mandatory vaccination polices. Practised in some regions in North America, mandatory policies have led to higher vaccination rate, but are not problem-free. The effects of conventional educational programmes and campaigns are in general of modest impact only. Availability of convenient vaccination facilities, such as mobile vaccination cart, and role models of senior HCWs receiving vaccination are among some strategies which have been observed to improve vaccination uptake rate. A multi-faceted approach is thus necessary to persuade HCWs to participate in a vaccination programme, especially in areas with low uptake rate.
With the novel coronavirus pandemic, the impact on the healthcare system and workers cannot be overlooked. However, studies on the infection status of medical personnel are still lacking. It is ...imperative to ensure the safety of health-care workers (HCWs) not only to safeguard continuous patient care but also to ensure they do not transmit the virus, therefore evaluation of infection rates in these groups are indicated.
Demographic and clinical data regarding infected cases among HCWs of Fars, Iran with positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests were obtained from 10th March to 17th May 2020.
Our data demonstrated a rate of 5.62% (273 out of 4854 cases) infection among HCW, with a mean age of 35 years and a dominance of female cases (146 cases: 53.5%). The majority of infected cases were among nurses (51.3%), while the most case infection rate (CIR) was among physicians (27 positive cases out of 842 performed test (3.2%)). Also, the highest rate of infection was in the emergency rooms (30.6%). Also, 35.5% of the patients were asymptomatic and the most frequent clinical features among symptomatic patients were myalgia (46%) and cough (45.5%). Although 5.5% were admitted to hospitals, there were no reports of ICU admission. Furthermore, 10.3% of the cases reported transmitting the infection to family and friends. Regarding safety precautions, 1.6% didn't wear masks and 18.7% didn't use gloves in work environments.
HCWs are among the highest groups at risk of infection during the COVID-19 pandemic; therefore, evaluating infection rates and associated features is necessary to improve and adjust protective measures of these vulnerable, yet highly essential group.
Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at the front line of the ongoing coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Comprehensive evaluation of the seroprevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 ...(SARS-CoV-2) among HCWs in a large healthcare system could help to identify the impact of epidemiological factors and the presence of symptoms on the immune response to the infection over time.
To determine the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies among HCWs, identify associated epidemiological factors and study antibody kinetics.
A longitudinal evaluation of the seroprevalence and epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies was undertaken in approximately 30,000 HCWs in the largest healthcare system in Connecticut, USA.
At baseline, the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibody among 6863 HCWs was 6.3% 95% confidence interval (CI) 5.7–6.9%, and was highest among patient care support (16.7%), medical assistants (9.1%) and nurses (8.2%), and lower for physicians (3.8%) and advanced practice providers (4.5%). Seroprevalence was significantly higher among African Americans odds ratio (OR) 3.26 compared with Caucasians, 95% CI 1.77–5.99, in participants with at least one symptom of COVID-19 (OR 3.00, 95% CI 1.92–4.68), and in those reporting prior quarantine (OR 3.83, 95% CI 2.57–5.70). No symptoms were reported in 24% of seropositive participants. Among the 47% of participants who returned for a follow-up serological test, the seroreversion rate was 39.5% and the seroconversion rate was 2.2%. The incidence of re-infection in the seropositive group was zero.
Although there is a decline in the immunoglobulin G antibody signal over time, 60.5% of seropositive HCWs had maintained their seroconversion status after a median of 5.5 months.
Several follow-up studies have found that COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) patients had persistent symptoms after discharge. Gut microbiota play an important role in human health and immune ...responses. Therefore, this study investigated the gut microbiota of recovered COVID-19 patients and the correlations between gut microbiota and persistent symptoms after discharge. Stool samples were collected from 15 recovered healthcare workers (HCWs) with COVID-19 at three months after discharge, in addition, stool samples were collected from 14 healthy controls (HCs) to perform 16S rRNA gene sequencing between May and July 2020. Compared with HCs, recovered HCWs had reduced bacterial diversity at three months after discharge, with a significantly higher relative abundance of opportunistic pathogens, and a significantly lower relative abundance of beneficial bacteria. In addition,
Escherichia unclassified
was positively correlated with persistent symptoms at three months after discharge, including fatigue (r = 0.567, p = 0.028), chest tightness after activity (r = 0.687, p = 0.005), and myalgia (r = 0.523, p = 0.045).
Intestinibacter bartlettii
was positively correlated with anorexia (r = 0.629, p = 0.012) and fatigue (r = 0.545, p = 0.036). However,
Faecalibacterium prausnitzii
was negatively correlated with chest tightness after activity (r = -0.591, p = 0.02), and
Intestinimonas butyriciproducens
was negatively correlated with cough (r = -0.635, p = 0.011). In conclusion, the gut microbiota of recovered HCWs with COVID-19 at three months after discharge was different from that of HCs, and altered gut microbiota was correlated with persistent symptoms after discharge, highlighting that gut microbiota may play an important role in the recovery of patients with COVID-19.
Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exposed healthcare workers (HCWs) to a unique set of challenges and stressors. Our frontline workers are under tremendous psychological pressure ...because of the ever-rising crisis. This study was done to assess the magnitude of the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical and nonclinical HCWs in India.
It was a cross-sectional, online survey that was done from June 1, 2020, to July 4, 2020. A total of 313 clinical and nonclinical HCWs, who were directly or indirectly involved in patient care, participated in the study. The psychological impact was assessed in terms of four variables: insomnia, anxiety, depression, and stress. Insomnia was assessed by the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Anxiety and depression were assessed via the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), which included a 2-item anxiety scale and a 2-item depression scale (PHQ-2). Stress was assessed via the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). We also compared the psychological impact of this pandemic between clinical and nonclinical HCWs.
7.3% of HCWs were having moderate insomnia, 3.8% had severe insomnia, and 20.8% were having subthreshold insomnia. Severe anxiety and depression were found in 6.7% of respondents. 8.0 and 32.3% of the respondents had moderate and mild anxiety-depression, respectively. 6.4% had high perceived stress. 47.6 and 46.0% of the respondents had moderate and low stress, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in severe insomnia between clinical and nonclinical HCWs, whereas no significant difference in anxiety, depression, and stress between clinical and nonclinical HCWs.
This study suggests that psychological morbidity is prevalent among both clinical and nonclinical HCWs and both males and females. Early intervention may be beneficial to prevent this issue.
Sunil R, Bhatt MT, Bhumika TV, Thomas N, Puranik A, Chaudhuri S,
Weathering the Storm: Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Clinical and Nonclinical Healthcare Workers in India. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021;25(1):16-20.
Impinging jet ventilation (IJV) system is promising to improve air quality in hospital wards compared with traditional mixing systems, while previously studied IJV systems for hospital wards were, in ...fact, personalized ventilation systems. This study investigates the cross-transmission of contaminants in a 4-bed hospital ward ventilated by one diffuser, including the impacts of occupants’ posture and mask, and to suggest low-risk positions for healthcare workers. A numerical model is established and validated to simulate the airflow and contaminant distribution in the enclosure. The results include: a) the supply velocity of 1.3 m/s and temperature of 18 °C maintains an overall thermoneutral environment; b) the supply diffuser creates an overall recirculated airflow though the ambient air velocity in most regions (93.8 % of the ward space) is lower than 0.1 m/s; c) the root mean square of velocity along the height is 0.003 m/s between lying and sitting conditions, and the root mean square of temperature is 0.16 °C, indicating the impacts of posture on velocity and temperature fields are ignorable; d) the transfer of lying patient-released contaminants is dominated by the recirculated airflow, while in the sitting cases, it is dominated by thermal plumes; e) healthcare workers are advised to position themselves opposite the supply diffuser for lying patients, and alongside the walls for sitting patients to reduce infection risk; f) exhaled contaminants flows upward straightly when masks are functioning well. These outputs indicate that the work position of healthcare workers should be adjusted according to patients’ posture.
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•The exhaled contaminant transfer is governed by a 3D recirculation flow.•A very low horizontal velocity (e.g., 0.1 m/s) can spread contaminates far.•Patients’ posture has ignorable effects on temperature and velocity distribution.•Healthcare workers’ work position should change according to patients’ posture.
Healthcare workers were more than essential during the COVID-19 pandemic, a fact that is recognized by societies the world over. However, in many countries, healthcare workers are not satisfied with ...their working conditions, which has resulted in frequent protests and strikes. One such country is Spain. How can the theory of social dialogue contribute to explaining and improving healthcare workers’ conditions during a healthcare crisis such as this one? In this paper, we aim to explore what it is really like for healthcare professionals working under these challenging circumstances, and link their experience to the theory of social dialogue in order to engage in a double process of contribution: from practice to theory and vice versa. In order to do so, we first explore the real-world problems encountered by professionals, focusing particularly on cases in Spain, before reviewing theoretical approaches to the study of social dialogue in organizations, an area that has received very little attention in the revised academic literature. Finally, we show how constructive social dialogue can be an effective tool for improving working conditions for healthcare workers.
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