American Frontline Healthcare Personnel's Access to and Use of Personal Protective Equipment Early in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Janet W Rich-Edwards; Ming Ding; Carissa M Rocheleau; James M Boiano; Jae H Kang; Iris Becene; Long H Nguyen; Andrew T Chan; Jaime E Hart; Jorge E Chavarro; Christina C Lawson

doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000002308

American Frontline Healthcare Personnel's Access to and Use of Personal Protective Equipment Early in the COVID-19 Pandemic

J Occup Environ Med. 2021 Nov 1;63(11):913-920. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002308.

Authors

Janet W Rich-Edwards¹, Ming Ding, Carissa M Rocheleau, James M Boiano, Jae H Kang, Iris Becene, Long H Nguyen, Andrew T Chan, Jaime E Hart, Jorge E Chavarro, Christina C Lawson

Affiliation

¹ Division of Women's Health, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr Rich-Edwards); Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr Rich-Edwards and Dr Chavarro); Department of Nutrition, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr Ding and Dr Chavarro); National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cincinnati, Ohio (Dr Rocheleau, Dr Boiano, and Dr Lawson); Channing Division of Network Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr Kang and Dr Hart); Tufts University, Somerville, Massachusetts (Ms Becene); Clinical and Translational Epidemiology Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr Nguyen and Dr Chan); Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr Hart).

Abstract

Objectives: To quantify adequacy of personal protective equipment (PPE) for U.S. healthcare personnel (HCP) at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic and its association with infection risk.

Methods: March-May 2020 survey of the national Nurses' Health Studies and the Growing Up Today study regarding self-reported PPE access, use, and reuse. COVID-19 endpoints included SARS-CoV-2 tests and COVID-19 status predicted from symptoms.

Results: Nearly 22% of 22,232 frontline HCP interacting with COVID-19 patients reported sometimes or always lacking PPE. Fifty percent of HCP reported not needing respirators, including 13% of those working in COVID-19 units. Lack of PPE was cross-sectionally associated with two-fold or greater odds of COVID-19 among those who interacted with infected patients.

Conclusion: These data show the need to improve the U.S. infection prevention culture of safety when confronting a novel pathogen.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Health Personnel
Health Services Accessibility
Humans
Pandemics
Personal Protective Equipment*
SARS-CoV-2
United States / epidemiology

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding