COVID-19 risk factors among health workers: A rapid review

Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) poses an important occupational health risk to health workers (HWs) that has attracted global scrutiny. To date, several thousand HWs globally have been reported as infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus that causes the disease. It is therefore a public health priority for policymakers to understand risk factors for this vulnerable group to avert occupational transmission. A rapid review was carried out on 20 April 2020 on Covid-19 risk factors among HWs in PubMed, Google Scholar, and EBSCOHost Web (Academic Search Complete, CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE with Full Text, CINAHL with Full Text, APA PsycInfo, Health Source—Consumer Edition, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition) and WHO Global Database. We also searched for preprints on the medRxiv database. We searched for reports, reviews, and primary observational studies (case control, case cross-over, cross-sectional, and cohort). The review included studies conducted among HWs with Covid-19 that reported risk factors irrespective of their sample size. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. Lack of personal protective equipment, exposure to infected patients, work overload, poor infection control, and preexisting medical conditions were identified as risk factors for Covid-19 among HWs. In the context of Covid-19, HWs face an unprecedented occupational risk of morbidity and mortality. There is need for rapid development of sustainable measures that protect HWs from the pandemi

Towards virtual doctor consultations: A call for the scale-up of telemedicine in sub-Saharan Africa during COVID-19 lockdowns and beyond

The outbreak of COVID-19 has resulted in adoption and implementation of mitigatory policies, including movement restrictions (lockdowns) to curb its spread. These lockdowns have brought unintended consequences such as increasing the inequalities in health delivery. In the context of these restrictions, telemedicine provides an opportunity for continuation of essential health care provision. This review aimed to map available literature on the current status of telemedicine in sub-Saharan Africa to proffer recommendations for scale up during COVID-19 and beyond. Our review highlighted the lack of meaningful investment in the area. The literature identified resistance to telemedicine, infrastructural barriers, and the lack of policy and budgetary support as main deterrents to current implementation. We recommend the region to leverage on the rapid expansion of internet and telecommunication in addition to adopting a mix of strategies to set up an infrastructure for providing scale up of telemedicine and overcome barriers to implementation. There is an urgent need for policy formulation and the provision of budgetary support through sustainable business models

Digital technologies and COVID-19 : reconsidering lockdown exit strategies for Africa

Widespread vaccination provides a means for countries to lift strict COVID-19 restrictions previously imposed to contain the spread of the disease. However, to date, Africa has secured enough COVID-19 vaccine doses for less than 5% of its population. With widespread vaccination not on the horizon for Africa, there is a strong emphasis on non-pharmaceutical interventions which include movement restrictions (lockdowns). This general COVID-19 pandemic response of imposing lockdowns, however, neglects to factor in non-fatal consequences leading to disruption socio-economic wellbeing of the society at large. The economy in most African countries can no longer sustain lockdown restrictions. Some studies have indicated that a hard lockdown statistical value of the extra lives saved would be dwarfed by its long-term cost. At the same time not responding to the threat of the pandemic will cost lives and disrupts the social fabric. This paper proffers ways to mitigate the both and advocate for better policymaking that addresses specific challenges in defined communities thus yield higher population welfare.https://www.panafrican-med-journal.compm2021School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH

Stigma and public health responses : lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic to inform the recent monkeypox outbreak

Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus, and first reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970. An outbreak of the monkeypox is currently ongoing, the first case was reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on 7 May 2022. Most of the cases have been identified in young men, self-identifying as men who have sex with men (MSM). Since most reported monkeypox cases in humans in the developed world have been reported in MSM, this may result in the perception in some quarters that it’s a disease associated with this key population group. This may result in increased stigma being directed to MSM. Similar perceptions existed at the advent of HIV, which were later proven incorrect as HIV is readily transmissible between heterosexuals. Some recent public and media coverage has generated homophobic and racist stereotypes that have brought attention to MSM fueling stigma and discrimination towards an already marginalized group. Disease outbreaks often breed fear and distress among populations and have historically been accompanied by stigma, discrimination, and homophobia.https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/public-health-in-practiceam2023School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH

Implementation of public health genomics in Africa : lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, challenges, and recommendations

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT : Data sharing not applicable to this article as no data sets were generated or analysed during the current study.Public Health Genomics (PHG) is a relatively new field. The wide application of genomic technologies played a pivotal role in elucidating the full genomic sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This breakthrough proved to be the starting point in the manufacture of diagnostic kits and the subsequent making of vaccines. Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, many African countries can take advantage of the various investments in genomic technologies to introduce and intensify the use of genomics for public health gain. Public Health Genomics effectively monitors, prevents, and manages non-communicable and infectious diseases. However, there are several challenges to implementing PHG in Africa. In this perspective article, we discuss the utilization of PHG during the COVID-19 pandemic, the lessons learned from using PHG to manage and contain the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as potential challenges Africa may face when putting PHG into practice compared to challenges of other regions. We also discuss our recommendations for overcoming these challenges.https://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jmv2023-11-11hj2023School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH

Limited syphilis testing for key populations in Zimbabwe : a silent public health threat

In this article, the authors discuss the problem of high prevalences of active syphilis amongst key populations (KPs) in Zimbabwe, in combination with low testing rates, partly because of a difficult legal and social environment for these populations. The article highlights the need to develop strategies to address the high prevalence of syphilis amongst KPs. The authors discuss requirements for addressing deficits in existing clinical services, predominantly primary care settings, in providing primary healthcare, including sexually transmitted infection (STI) management, to Zimbabwe’s KP communities and utility of point-of-care testing and self-testing and other innovations to improve testing uptake.https://sajid.co.za/index.php/sajiddm2022School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH

Risk factors for COVID-19 among healthcare workers. A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Evidence on the spectrum of risk factors for infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among front-line healthcare workers (HCWs) has not been well-described. While several studies evaluating the risk factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection among patient-facing and non-patient-facing front-line HCWs have been reported since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in 2019 (COVID-19), and several more are still underway. There is, therefore, an immediate need for an ongoing, rigorous systematic review that continuously assesses the risk factors of SARS-CoV-2 infection among front-line HCWs.Here, we outline a protocol to serve as a guideline for conducting a living systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the burden of COVID-19 on front-line HCWs and identify risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection in patient-facing and non-patient-facing front-line HCWs

Risk factors for COVID-19 infection among healthcare workers. A first report from a living systematic review and meta-analysis

Health care workers (HCWs) are more than ten times more likely to be infected with coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) than the general population, thus demonstrating the burden of COVID- 19 among HCWs. Factors that expose HCWs to a differentially high-risk of COVID-19 acquisition are important to elucidate, enable appropriate public health interventions to mitigate against high risk and reduce adverse outcomes from the infection. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize and critically analyze the existing evidence on SARS-CoV-2 risk factors among HCWs. With no geographical limitation, we included studies, in any country, that reported (i) the PCR laboratory diagnosis of COVID-19 as an independent variable (ii) one or more COVID-19 risk factors among HCWs with risk estimates (relative risk, odds ratio, or hazard ratio) (iii) original, quantitative study design, and published in English or Mandarian. Our initial search resulted in 470 articles overall, however, only 10 studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. Out of the 10 studies included in the review, inadequate/ lack of protective personal equipment, performing tracheal intubation, and gender were the most common risk factors of COVID-19. Based on the random effects adjusted pooled relative risk, HCWs who reported the use of protective personal equipment were 29% (95% CI: 16% to 41%) less likely to test positive for COVID-19. The study also revealed that HCWs who performed tracheal intubations were 34% (95% CI: 14% to 57%) more likely to test positive for COVID-19. Interestingly, this study showed that female HCWs are at 11% higher risk (RR 1.11 95% CI 1.01e1.21) of COVID-19 than their male counterparts. This article presents initial findings from a living systematic review and meta-analysis, therefore, did not yield many studies; however, it revealed a significant insight into better understanding COVID-19 risk factors among HCWs; insights important for devising preventive strategies that protect them from this infection.http://www.e-shaw.netam2023School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH

Risk factors for COVID-19 infection among healthcare workers. A first report from a living systematic review and meta-analysis

Health care workers (HCWs) are more than ten times more likely to be infected with COVID-19 compared to the general population, thus demonstrating the burden of COVID-19 among HCWs. Factors that expose HCWs to a differentially high-risk of COVID-19 acquisition are important to elucidate, to enable appropriate public health interventions to mitigate against high risk and reduce adverse outcomes from the infection. We conducted a systematic review and meta analysis to summarise and critically analyse the existing evidence on SARS-CoV-2 risk factors among HCWs. With no geographical limitation, we included studies, in any country, that reported (i) PCR laboratory diagnosis of COVID—19 as an independent variable (ii) one or more COVID-19 risk factors among health care workers with risk estimates (relative risk, odds ratio or harzard ratio) (iii) original, quantitative study design and published in English or Mandarian. Our initial search resulted in 470 articles overall, however, only 10 studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. Out of the 10 studies included in the review, inadequate/lack of protective personal equipment (PPE), performing tracheal intubation (PTI) and gender were the most common risk factors of COVID-19. Based on the random effects adjusted pooled relative risk, HCWs who reported use PPE were 29% (95% CI: 16% to 41%) less likely to test positive for COVID-19. The study also revealed that HCWs who performed tracheal intubations were 34% (95% CI: 14% to 57%) more likely to test positive for COVID-19. Interestingly, this study showed that female HCWs are at 11% higher risk (RR 1.11 95% CI 1.01-1.21) of COVID-19 than their male counterparts. This paper presents initial findings from a living systematic review and meta-analysis, therefore, did not yield many studies, however, it revealed a significant insight to better understand COVID-19 risk factors among HCWs; insights important for devising preventive strategies that protect them from this infection

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage and susceptibility patterns in patients admitted to critical care units in a central referral hospital in Harare, Zimbabwe

Objectives: To determine Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage and antibiotic susceptibility patterns in patients admitted to critical care units in a central hospital in Harare ZimbabweDesign: A cross sectional study of patients admitted to Critical Care Units (CCUs), to determine the Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage rate and susceptibility patterns of MRSA isolates.Setting: Parirenyatwa Hospital, a major referral centre in Zimbabwe.Subjects: Patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), CCU and Burns wards.Results: Eighty of the 164 patients admitted between February and April 2014 were enrolled into the study. Of the 80 patients admitted to CCUs and recruited into the study 39 (48.8%) carried S. aureus of which 16were methicillin-resistant. The overall MRSA carriage rate was 20%. Thirteen (81%) of the MRSA isolates were from the nasals and 3 (19%) were from the axilla. All the MRSA isolates were resistant to ampicillin and penicillin, 93.8% were resistant to cotrimoxazole, 87.5% were resistant to both tetracycline and ceftriaxone, 68.8% were resistant to both ciprofloxacin and gentamicin, and 56.3% were resistant to clindamycin. Vancomycin was the most effective drug, with only 12.5% of MRSA isolates being resistant to it. Multidrug resistance was observed in 93.8% of the MRSA isolates.Conclusion: The rate of MRSA carriage among CCU patients found in the present study was high and the majority of MRSA isolates were multidrug resistant. There is need to develop a sustainable policy on screening and decolonisation of MRSA on patients as they are admitted to CCUs to reduce the risk of infection in highly susceptible patients