Prevalence and Risk Factors of Exposure to COVID-19 Pandemic among Health Care Workers in Babylon, Iraq

Background:COVID-19 is an extremely infectious disease. Health care workers (HCWs) are exposed to high occupational risk because of Coronavirus. Objectives:To study the prevalence and risk factors of exposure to COVID-19 among HCWs. Materials and Methods:The study design was cross-sectional and cons...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Makki Hasan Shraifat, Foued Ben Haj Slama
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2024-07-01
Series:Medical Journal of Babylon
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/MJBL.MJBL_1783_23
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1846168924984442880
author Makki Hasan Shraifat
Foued Ben Haj Slama
author_facet Makki Hasan Shraifat
Foued Ben Haj Slama
author_sort Makki Hasan Shraifat
collection DOAJ
description Background:COVID-19 is an extremely infectious disease. Health care workers (HCWs) are exposed to high occupational risk because of Coronavirus. Objectives:To study the prevalence and risk factors of exposure to COVID-19 among HCWs. Materials and Methods:The study design was cross-sectional and consisted of 527 participants of HCWs, Data was collected through direct interviews by using simple Random Sampling) technique, the questionnaire format was built exclusively by the researchers for this purpose and consisted of four axes which included socio-demographic variables, COVID-19 prevalence, vaccination status, and risk factors. Furthermore; Laboratory examinations were used in this study to detect newly infected cases of HCWs, we screened HCWs for SARS-CoV-2 via RT-PCR. The study period started from October 2, 2022 until May 30, 2023. This study was conducted at Babylon Health Directorate, Babylon governorate. Results:The findings indicate that a majority of HCWs participating in this study were in the age group 26–30 years 146 (27.7%), and predominantly females 302 (57.3%), 344 (65.3%) were residents in urban regions, with 228 (43.3%) holding technical diploma degree and nursing professionals makeup 201 (38.1%) of occupational titles, and most of them were working in emergency units 107 (20.3%). The results registered 352 (66.8%) of HCWs were infected previously with COVID-19, and 64 (12.1%) new infected cases diagnosed by RT-PCR, largely among paramedical staff 40 (20.3%), and a highly recorded at Al-Hashimiyah health sector 26 (11.9%). Data analysis reveals that a significant association between infection and some risk variables regards participants who visited epidemiological units, and those who visited physician clinics during the pandemic. Results suggest a significant association between not being vaccinated and COVID-19 infection. Additionally, the participants with chronic diseases were more likely to be infected compared to those without chronic diseases (P < 0.001). Conclusions:The study concluded that COVID-19 was prevalent among HCWs and significantly associated with some health and occupational risk factors.
format Article
id doaj-art-a2ffdd0966f64a298553d88c57bca8a2
institution Kabale University
issn 1812-156X
2312-6760
language English
publishDate 2024-07-01
publisher Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
record_format Article
series Medical Journal of Babylon
spelling doaj-art-a2ffdd0966f64a298553d88c57bca8a22024-11-13T09:13:40ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsMedical Journal of Babylon1812-156X2312-67602024-07-0121246246910.4103/MJBL.MJBL_1783_23Prevalence and Risk Factors of Exposure to COVID-19 Pandemic among Health Care Workers in Babylon, IraqMakki Hasan ShraifatFoued Ben Haj SlamaBackground:COVID-19 is an extremely infectious disease. Health care workers (HCWs) are exposed to high occupational risk because of Coronavirus. Objectives:To study the prevalence and risk factors of exposure to COVID-19 among HCWs. Materials and Methods:The study design was cross-sectional and consisted of 527 participants of HCWs, Data was collected through direct interviews by using simple Random Sampling) technique, the questionnaire format was built exclusively by the researchers for this purpose and consisted of four axes which included socio-demographic variables, COVID-19 prevalence, vaccination status, and risk factors. Furthermore; Laboratory examinations were used in this study to detect newly infected cases of HCWs, we screened HCWs for SARS-CoV-2 via RT-PCR. The study period started from October 2, 2022 until May 30, 2023. This study was conducted at Babylon Health Directorate, Babylon governorate. Results:The findings indicate that a majority of HCWs participating in this study were in the age group 26–30 years 146 (27.7%), and predominantly females 302 (57.3%), 344 (65.3%) were residents in urban regions, with 228 (43.3%) holding technical diploma degree and nursing professionals makeup 201 (38.1%) of occupational titles, and most of them were working in emergency units 107 (20.3%). The results registered 352 (66.8%) of HCWs were infected previously with COVID-19, and 64 (12.1%) new infected cases diagnosed by RT-PCR, largely among paramedical staff 40 (20.3%), and a highly recorded at Al-Hashimiyah health sector 26 (11.9%). Data analysis reveals that a significant association between infection and some risk variables regards participants who visited epidemiological units, and those who visited physician clinics during the pandemic. Results suggest a significant association between not being vaccinated and COVID-19 infection. Additionally, the participants with chronic diseases were more likely to be infected compared to those without chronic diseases (P < 0.001). Conclusions:The study concluded that COVID-19 was prevalent among HCWs and significantly associated with some health and occupational risk factors.https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/MJBL.MJBL_1783_23covid-19health care workersprevalencerisk factors
spellingShingle Makki Hasan Shraifat
Foued Ben Haj Slama
Prevalence and Risk Factors of Exposure to COVID-19 Pandemic among Health Care Workers in Babylon, Iraq
Medical Journal of Babylon
covid-19
health care workers
prevalence
risk factors
title Prevalence and Risk Factors of Exposure to COVID-19 Pandemic among Health Care Workers in Babylon, Iraq
title_full Prevalence and Risk Factors of Exposure to COVID-19 Pandemic among Health Care Workers in Babylon, Iraq
title_fullStr Prevalence and Risk Factors of Exposure to COVID-19 Pandemic among Health Care Workers in Babylon, Iraq
title_full_unstemmed Prevalence and Risk Factors of Exposure to COVID-19 Pandemic among Health Care Workers in Babylon, Iraq
title_short Prevalence and Risk Factors of Exposure to COVID-19 Pandemic among Health Care Workers in Babylon, Iraq
title_sort prevalence and risk factors of exposure to covid 19 pandemic among health care workers in babylon iraq
topic covid-19
health care workers
prevalence
risk factors
url https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/MJBL.MJBL_1783_23
work_keys_str_mv AT makkihasanshraifat prevalenceandriskfactorsofexposuretocovid19pandemicamonghealthcareworkersinbabyloniraq
AT fouedbenhajslama prevalenceandriskfactorsofexposuretocovid19pandemicamonghealthcareworkersinbabyloniraq