Risk assesment and management of exposure of health care workers to COVID-19 in a tertiary care hospital of South Gujarat

Krishnakant N. Bhatt; Amit Gamit; Ashish Patel; Kalpesh Gohel; Shiv Pujari; Siddhant Agrawal; Keshvi Chauhan

doi:10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20210233

Authors

Krishnakant N. Bhatt Department of Medicine, Government medical college, Surat, Gujarat, India
Amit Gamit Department of Medicine, Government medical college, Surat, Gujarat, India
Ashish Patel Department of Medicine, Government medical college, Surat, Gujarat, India
Kalpesh Gohel Department of Medicine, Government medical college, Surat, Gujarat, India
Shiv Pujari Department of Medicine, Government medical college, Surat, Gujarat, India
Siddhant Agrawal Department of Medicine, Government medical college, Surat, Gujarat, India
Keshvi Chauhan Department of Medicine, Government medical college, Surat, Gujarat, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20210233

Keywords:

COVID-19, Health care worker, Personal protective equipment

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 outbreak affected 215 countries worldwide and was declared global COVID-19 pandemic on 11th March 2020 by WHO. Healthcare workers (HCWs) in India are faced with an incredibly high number of patients per worker and because of high infectivity of COVID-19, having higher chances of getting COVID-19 infection. The objective of the study was the risk categorization of HCWs and provide recommendation for HCWs exposed to COVID-19 based on risk categorization.

Methods: After obtaining informed and valid consent from HCWs based on standard WHO questionnaire HCW, who were exposed to COVID-19 were identified and categorised in to high risk and low risk health worker. Those who were at high risk of getting COVID-19 were advised quarantine for 14 days and rt pcr for Covid-19.

Results: Out of 200 participants, 51% were male and 49% were female with the majority of them being in the age group of 18-28 (40%). Out of 200, 190 (95%) were exposed to COVID-19. Majority of HCWs who were having high risk of getting COVID-19 infection were young between age group of 18-28 (66,39.7%, p :0.091), male (91,59.6%, p<0.001), doctors (119, 80.9%, p<0.001).

Conclusions: Young male doctors were more prone to get COVID-19 infection. It is important to protect HCWs from getting COVID-19 infections by taking various fundamental preventive measures like wearing proper PPE kits and adherence to strict hand hygiene.

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