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Review
. 2024 Aug:146:105097.
doi: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2024.105097. Epub 2024 Jun 6.

Personal protective equipment for healthcare workers during COVID-19: Developing and applying a questionnaire and assessing associations between infection rates and shortages across 19 countries

Madelon Kroneman  1 , Gemma A Williams  2 , Juliane Winkelmann  3 , Peter Spreeuwenberg  1 , Krisztina Davidovics  4 , Peter P Groenewegen  5
Affiliations
Review

Personal protective equipment for healthcare workers during COVID-19: Developing and applying a questionnaire and assessing associations between infection rates and shortages across 19 countries

Madelon Kroneman et al. Health Policy. 2024 Aug.

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the preparedness of European countries regarding personal protective equipment (PPE) for health and care workers (HCWs), the COVID-19 infection rates of HCWs compared to the general working age population, and the association between these. We developed a PPE-preparedness scale based on responses to a questionnaire from experts in the Health Systems and Policy Monitor network, with a response rate of 19 out of 31 countries. COVID-19 infection data were retrieved form the European center for Disease Prevention and Control. Shortages of PPE were found in most countries, in particular in home care and long-term care. HCW infection rates, compared to the general population, varied strongly between countries, influenced by different testing regimes. We found no relationships between HCW infection rates, PPE preparedness and shortages of PPE. Improved surveillance in the population as well as for HCWS are needed to be able to better assess these relationships.

Keywords: COVID-19; COVID-19 infection rate; Health and care workforce; Personal protective equipment; Preparedness.

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Figures

Fig 1
Fig. 1
Countries with incomplete information on HCW status.
Fig 2:
Fig. 2
Number of countries with shortages of PPE by sector (19 countries).
Fig 3:
Fig. 3
PPE preparedness scale across 19 countries.
Fig 4:
Fig. 4
PPE preparedness scale (right Y-axis) and HCW infections compared to the general population (left Y-axis), 17 countries.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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