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Occupational Health and Safety Measures in Healthcare Settings during COVID-19: Strategies for Protecting Staff, Patients and Visitors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 September 2021

Isra Asma Ahmad  and
Ernest Osei
Isra Asma Ahmad
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
Ernest Osei*
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Physics, Grand River Regional Cancer Centre, Kitchener, ON, Canada Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada Department of Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON Canada
*
Corresponding author: Ernest Osei, Email: ernest.osei@grhosp.on.ca.
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Abstract

The COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has profoundly impacted almost every aspect of healthcare systems worldwide, placing the health and safety of frontline healthcare workers at risk, and it still continues to remain an important public health challenge. Several hospitals have put in place strategies to manage space, staff, and supplies in order to continue to deliver optimum care to patients while at the same time protecting the health and safety of staff and patients. However, the emergence of the second and third waves of the virus with the influx of new cases continue to add an additional level of complexity to the already challenging situation of containing the spread and lowering the rate of transmission, thus pushing healthcare systems to the limit. In this narrative review paper, we describe various strategies including administrative controls, environmental controls, and use of personal protective equipment, implemented by occupational health and safety departments for the protection of healthcare workers, patients, and visitors from SARS-CoV-2 virus infection. The protection and safeguard of the health and safety of healthcare workers and patients through the implementation of effective infection control measures, adequate management of possible outbreaks and minimization of the risk of nosocomial transmission is an important and effective strategy of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic management in any healthcare facility. High quality patient care hinges on ensuring that the care providers are well protected and supported so they can provide the best quality of care to their patients.

Keywords

covid-19sars-cov-2infection control measuresnosocomial transmissionhealthcare settings
Type
Concepts in Disaster Medicine
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 17 , 2023 , e48
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

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