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Personal Safety during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Realities and Perspectives of Healthcare Workers in Latin America

Author

Listed:
  • Diego Delgado

    (Division of Cardiology, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G2N5, Canada)

  • Fernando Wyss Quintana

    (Division of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Services and Technology of Guatemala—Cardiosolutions, Guatemala 01010, Guatemala)

  • Gonzalo Perez

    (Division of Cardiology, Olivos Clinic, Buenos Aires B16022ABQ, Argentina)

  • Alvaro Sosa Liprandi

    (Division of Cardiology, Sanatorio Güemes, Buenos Aires C1188AAF, Argentina)

  • Carlos Ponte-Negretti

    (Cardiometabolic Unit, Instituto Médico La Floresta, Caracas 1090, Venezuela)

  • Ivan Mendoza

    (Tropical Cardiology Central, University of Venezuela, Caracas 1060, Venezuela)

  • Adrian Baranchuk

    (Division of Cardiology, Kingston Health Science Center, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L2V7, Canada)

Abstract

Healthcare workers exposed to coronavirus (COVID-19) may not have adequate access to personal protective equipment (PPE), safety procedures, and diagnostic protocols. Our objective was to evaluate the reality and perceptions about personal safety among healthcare workers in Latin America. This is a cross-sectional, online survey-based study administered to 936 healthcare professionals in Latin America from 31 March 2020 to 4 April 2020. A 12-item structured questionnaire was developed. A total of 936 healthcare workers completed the online survey. Of them, 899 (95.1%) were physicians, 28 (2.9%) were nurses, and 18 (1.9%) were allied health professionals. Access to protective equipment was as follows: gel hand sanitizer ( n = 889; 95%), disposable gloves ( n = 853; 91.1%), disposable gowns ( n = 630; 67.3%), disposable surgical masks (785; 83.9%), N95 masks ( n = 516; 56.1%), and facial protective shields ( n = 305; 32.6%). The vast majority ( n = 707; 75.5%) had access to personal safety policies and procedures, and 699 (74.7%) participants had access to diagnostic algorithms. On a 1-to-10 Likert scale, the participants expressed limited human resources support (4.92 ± 0.2; mean ± SD), physical integrity protection in the workplace (5.5 ± 0.1; mean ± SD), and support from public health authorities (5.01 ± 0.12; mean ± SD). Healthcare workers in Latin America had limited access to essential PPE and support from healthcare authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Diego Delgado & Fernando Wyss Quintana & Gonzalo Perez & Alvaro Sosa Liprandi & Carlos Ponte-Negretti & Ivan Mendoza & Adrian Baranchuk, 2020. "Personal Safety during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Realities and Perspectives of Healthcare Workers in Latin America," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-8, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:8:p:2798-:d:347384
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Grzegorz Józef Nowicki & Barbara Ślusarska & Kinga Tucholska & Katarzyna Naylor & Agnieszka Chrzan-Rodak & Barbara Niedorys, 2020. "The Severity of Traumatic Stress Associated with COVID-19 Pandemic, Perception of Support, Sense of Security, and Sense of Meaning in Life among Nurses: Research Protocol and Preliminary Results from ," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-18, September.
    2. Jianlin Ren & Shasha Duan & Leihong Guo & Hongwan Li & Xiangfei Kong, 2022. "Effects of Return Air Inlets’ Location on the Control of Fine Particle Transportation in a Simulated Hospital Ward," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-21, September.
    3. Razieh Mokhtari & Ali Safdari & Davood Hekmatpou & Ali Sahebi & Siamak Moayedi & Mercedes Torres & Mohamad Golitaleb, 2021. "Investigating the Effective Factors of Using Personal Protective Equipment from the Perspective of Nurses Caring for COVID-19 Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-9, July.
    4. Robert Rodríguez-González & Aleksis Galloza & Edgar J. Medina & Valeria Oliver & Natalia I. Rodríguez & Elizabeth Ramos-Colón & Mileily Velázquez-Ferrer & Dayaneira Rivera-Alers & Wanda Vargas & Vanes, 2023. "Preventive Measures among Healthcare Workers (HCWs) during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-9, March.
    5. Mateusz Babicki & Ilona Szewczykowska & Agnieszka Mastalerz-Migas, 2021. "Mental Health in the Era of the Second Wave of SARS-CoV-2: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on an Online Survey among Online Respondents in Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-15, March.
    6. Natascha Mojtahedzadeh & Tanja Wirth & Albert Nienhaus & Volker Harth & Stefanie Mache, 2021. "Job Demands, Resources and Strains of Outpatient Caregivers during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Germany: A Qualitative Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-26, April.
    7. Haibo Chen & Zongjun Wang & Xuesong Yu & Qin Zhong, 2022. "Research on the Anti-Risk Mechanism of Mask Green Supply Chain from the Perspective of Cooperation between Retailers, Suppliers, and Financial Institutions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-18, December.
    8. Young-Jae Kim & Seung-Woo Kang, 2020. "The Quality of Life, Psychological Health, and Occupational Calling of Korean Workers: Differences by the New Classes of Occupation Emerging Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-14, August.
    9. Miguel Ortíz-Barrios & Natalia Jaramillo-Rueda & Muhammet Gul & Melih Yucesan & Genett Jiménez-Delgado & Juan-José Alfaro-Saíz, 2023. "A Fuzzy Hybrid MCDM Approach for Assessing the Emergency Department Performance during the COVID-19 Outbreak," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-39, March.

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