You are here

Article Text

Article menu

Download PDFPDF

Oral Presentations
COVID19–2
O-151 Are healthcare workers using personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Free
  1. Christine Cramer1,
  2. Karoline Kærgaard Hansen,
  3. Esben Meulengracht Flachs,
  4. Martin Byskov Kinnerup,
  5. Kent Jacob Nielsen,
  6. Ole Carstensen,
  7. Jesper Medom Vestergaard,
  8. Jens Peter Ellekilde Bonde,
  9. Karin Biering,
  10. Else Toft Würtz,
  11. Annett Dalbøge,
  12. Ane Marie Thulstrup,
  13. Mette Lausten Hansen,
  14. Anne Mette Lund Würtz,
  15. Vivi Schlünssen,
  16. Henrik Albert Kolstad
  1. 1Department of Public Health, Work, Environment and Health, Danish Ramazzini Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark

Abstract

Introduction Personal protective equipment (PPE) can prevent transmission of COVID-19; however, proper use requires time, experience, training and sufficient supplies of PPE.

Objective The aim of the overall study is to investigate the risk of COVID-19 among Danish healthcare workers. Here, the availability and use of PPE among the Danish healthcare workers during the pandemic is investigated.

Methods Healthcare workers employed at the Central Denmark Region (32,413) and the Capital Region of Denmark (38,807) on April 1, 2020 were invited to respond to daily questionnaires from April 24, 2020, until June 30, 2020 that addressed work tasks, contact with COVID-19 patients, use of PPE and breach of PPE. On November 17, 2020, 26,092 healthcare workers from the Central Denmark Region and on December 15, 2020, 9,664 from the Capitol Region of Denmark were invited to a second round of daily questionnaires, and were followed until April and March 30, 2021, respectively.

Results In total, 12,328 (38.0%) and 9,664 (24.4%) healthcare workers participated in the first round of the study, respectively in the Central Denmark Region and the Capital Region of Denmark. One fifth (20.3% and 20.6% respectively), reported that they did not use the recommended PPE at least once during the study. Forgetfulness (26.1% and 27.3%, respectively) and time constrains (23.1% and 21.1%, respectively) were the primary causes for not using the recommended PPE. At the time of the conference, data from the second round of questionnaires (response rates of 26.1% and 41.6%, respectively, corresponding to 6,816 and 3,959 participants respectively) will also be available for presentation.

Conclusion One fifth of Danish healthcare workers have been in a situation where PPE was recommended but not used. Time constrains and forgetfulness are important reasons for this. Healthcare workers not wearing the recommended PPE increases the risk of the healthcare workers becoming infected with COVID-19, and is harmful to the performance of the healthcare system.

https://doi.org/10.1136/OEM-2021-EPI.33

Statistics from Altmetric.com

    Request Permissions

    If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.