Occupational Health Challenges encountered by Health Care Workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt
Main Article Content
Keywords
Occupational Health Challenges; Healthcare Workers; COVID-19 Pandemic; Pandemic Preparedness
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt, healthcare workers faced numerous occupational health challenges. These challenges included shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), increased workload, inadequate training on COVID-19 protocols, exposure to infection risks, and concerns about their own well-being and that of their families. These factors collectively contributed to the occupational health challenges experienced by healthcare workers in Egypt during the pandemic.
The Aim of The Work: The study aim is to evaluate the Occupational Health Challenges encountered by Health Care Workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt.
Patients and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study involved reaching out to a total of 830 Healthcare Workers (HCWs) through email and social media channels, with 591 of them willingly participating in the survey, resulting in a response rate of 71.2%. Data collection spanned from March to October 30th, 2021. The survey covered various critical areas, including the assessment of COVID-19 transmission among HCWs, the effectiveness of strategies in place for preparedness and response to infectious diseases, the methods employed for surveillance, the presence of Occupational physicians and nurses, training programs focused on infection prevention and control, the availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for COVID-19, and the implementation of Workplace Controls.
Results: This study addresses the challenges faced by healthcare workers in Egyptian hospitals and emphasizes the need for regular evaluations of hospital preparedness for pandemics. It reveals a notably high prevalence rate of COVID-19 among healthcare workers in Egyptian Frontline Hospitals, underscoring the increased risk faced by those directly caring for COVID-19 patients. The study identifies variations in preparedness levels across hospital types, with Frontline Hospitals exhibiting superior readiness in key aspects related to COVID-19. Furthermore, it highlights the lack of Occupational Physicians (Ops) in many hospitals, despite their crucial role in pandemic response. Overall, the study provides insights into occupational health challenges and pandemic preparedness within Egyptian healthcare facilities.
Conclusion: This study highlights the high prevalence of COVID-19 among healthcare workers in Egypt, particularly in Frontline Hospitals. It also points out discrepancies in readiness levels across different hospital types and emphasizes the shortage of N-95 masks despite the availability of personal protective equipment. Additionally, advocates for the wider integration of occupational health professionals like Occupational Physicians or nurses in healthcare settings
References
2. Guo C, Bo Y, Lin C, et al. Meteorological factors and COVID-19 incidence in 190 countries: An observational study. Sci Total Environ. 2021; 757:143783. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143783
3. Wang X, Zhang X, He J. Challenges to the system of reserve medical supplies for public health emergencies: reflections on the outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) epidemic in China. Biosci Trends. 2020;14(1):3-8. doi:10.5582/bst.2020.01043
4. Ran L, Chen X, Wang Y, Wu W, Zhang L, Tan X. Risk Factors of Healthcare Workers With Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Retrospective Cohort Study in a Designated Hospital of Wuhan in China. Clin Infect Dis. 2020;71(16):2218-2221. doi:10.1093/cid/ciaa287
5. Lai J, Ma S, Wang Y, et al. Factors Associated with Mental Health Outcomes Among Health Care Workers Exposed to Coronavirus Disease 2019. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(3): e203976. Published 2020 Mar 2. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.3976Yu X, Sun S, Shi Y, Wang H, Zhao R, Sheng J. SARS-CoV-2 viral load in sputum correlates with risk of COVID-19 progression. Crit Care. 2020;24(1):170. Published 2020 Apr 23. doi:10.1186/s13054-020-02893-8
6. Liu Y, Yan LM, Wan L, et al. Viral dynamics in mild and severe cases of COVID-19. Lancet Infect Dis. 2020;20(6):656-657. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30232-2
7. World Health Organization (WHO). Infection prevention and control during health care when COVID-19 is suspected, 19 March, 2020. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/10665-331495. (accessed on 15/12/2023)
8. Lasalvia A, Bonetto C, Porru S, et al. psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers in a highly burdened area of north-east Italy. Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci. 2020;30: e1. Published 2020 Dec 17. doi:10.1017/S2045796020001158
9. U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSHA 3990-03 2020,OSHA. Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID19 https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/OSHA3990.pdf. (accessed on 1/1/2021)
10. Eastern Mediterranean Region. The World Health Organization. Health Workforce Snapshot at Egypt 2011-2020.Avaliable at https://rho.emro.who.int/sites/default/files/Profiles-briefs-files/Egypt_snapshots_2020.pdf. (accessed on01/01/2021).
11. Tostmann A, Bradley J, Bousema T, et al. Strong associations and moderate predictive value of early symptoms for SARS-CoV-2 test positivity among healthcare workers, the Netherlands, March 2020. Euro Surveill. 2020;25(16):2000508. doi:10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.16.2000508
12. Keeley AJ, Evans C, Colton H, et al. Roll-out of SARS-CoV-2 testing for healthcare workers at a large NHS Foundation Trust in the United Kingdom, March 2020. Euro Surveill. 2020;25(14):2000433. doi:10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.14.2000433
13. Ran L, Chen X, Wang Y, Wu W, Zhang L, Tan X. Risk Factors of Healthcare Workers with Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Retrospective Cohort Study in a Designated Hospital of Wuhan in China. Clin Infect Dis. 2020;71(16):2218-2221. doi:10.1093/cid/ciaa287
14. Dahmash EZ, Madi T, Shatat A, et al. Assessment of Hospital Readiness to Respond to COVID-19 Pandemic in Jordan-A Cross Sectional Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(3):1798. Published 2023 Jan 18. doi:10.3390/ijerph20031798
15. Spagnolo L, Vimercati L, Caputi A, et al. Role and Tasks of the Occupational Physician during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Medicina (Kaunas). 2021;57(5):479. Published 2021 May 12. doi:10.3390/medicina57050479
16. World Health Organization. Occupational Medicine in Europe: Scope and Competencies; WHO European Centre for Environment andHealth: Bonn, Germany, 2000; 84p.
17. Adatara P, Kuug AK, Nyande FK, et al. A Qualitative Study on Frontline Nurses' Experiences and Challenges in Providing Care for COVID-19 Patients in the Volta Region of Ghana: Implications for Nursing Management and Nursing Workforce Retention. Healthcare (Basel). 2023;11(7):1028. Published 2023 Apr 4. doi:10.3390/healthcare11071028
18. Kalateh Sadati A, Zarei L, Shahabi S, et al. Nursing experiences of COVID-19 outbreak in Iran: A qualitative study. Nurs Open. 2021;8(1):72-79. doi:10.1002/nop2.604
19. Fawaz M, Anshasi H, Samaha A. Nurses at the Front Line of COVID-19: Roles, Responsibilities, Risks, and Rights. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2020;103(4):1341-1342. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.20-0650
20. Park SH. Personal Protective Equipment for Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Infect Chemother. 2020;52(2):165-182. doi:10.3947/ic.2020.52.2.165
21. Modjo R, Lestari F, Tanjung H, Kadir A,Putra RS, Rahmadani M, Chaeruman AS,Lestari F and Sutanto J (2024) COVID-19infection prevention and control for hospital workers in Indonesia. Front. Public Health 11:1276898. Doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1276898
Article Sidebar
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
All articles published in JPTCP are licensed under Copyright Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.