David N C E, Juliana H, Chok M, Gan Y Z, Tan Y C, Nur Adlina M N, Tan S L, Tan M V, Aina Mariana A M, Hasri H, Lee M L, Cheah Y K
Hospital Tuanku Ja'afar, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.
Hospital Tuanku Ampuan Najihah, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.
Med J Malaysia. 2023 Jan;78(1):80-86.
The COVID-19 pandemic has reached a phase where many have been infected at least once. Healthcare workers were not spared from being infected. This study aimed to determine the period prevalence of COVID-19 among the paediatric healthcare workers in Negeri Sembilan as the country transitioned into an endemic phase of the pandemic. Additionally, we investigate potential sociodemographic and occupational characteristics associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers.
A cross-sectional study was conducted among the healthcare workers in the paediatric department at three public specialist hospitals in Negeri Sembilan between 15 and 21 April 2022. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire.
Out of the 504 eligible healthcare workers, 493 participated in this study (response rate 97.8%). The overall prevalence of COVID-19 (11 March 2020-15 April 2022) among healthcare workers was 50.9%. The majority (80.1%) were infected during the Omicron wave two months before the survey. Household contacts accounted for 35.9% of infection sources. The proportion of non-doctors in the COVID-19-infected group was significantly higher compared to the non-infected group (74.1% vs 64.0%, p=0.016). The COVID-19-infected group had a higher proportion of schoolgoing children (44.6% vs 30.6%, p=0.001) and children who attended pre-school/sent to the babysitter (49.0% vs 24.4%, p<0.001). There were no significant differences between infection rates among the healthcare workers working in the tertiary hospital and the district hospitals. There were also no significant differences in the proportion of COVID-19- infected doctors and nurses when analysed by seniority.
Our study provided an estimate on the prevalence of COVID-19 among paediatric healthcare workers in Negeri Sembilan and the factors associated with infection, which captures the extent and magnitude of this pandemic on the state's paediatric department. Most infections resulted from household contact, with a higher proportion of infected healthcare workers having young children.
新冠疫情已进入一个阶段，许多人至少感染过一次。医护人员也未能幸免。本研究旨在确定在国家过渡到疫情流行阶段时，森美兰州儿科医护人员中新冠病毒的期间患病率。此外，我们调查了医护人员中与新冠病毒感染相关的潜在社会人口学和职业特征。
2022年4月15日至21日，在森美兰州的三家公立专科医院的儿科部门对医护人员进行了一项横断面研究。数据通过自行填写的问卷收集。
在504名符合条件的医护人员中，493人参与了本研究（应答率97.8%）。医护人员中新冠病毒（2020年3月11日至2022年4月15日）的总体患病率为50.9%。大多数（80.1%）在调查前两个月的奥密克戎毒株流行期间感染。家庭接触者占感染源的35.9%。新冠病毒感染组中非医生的比例显著高于未感染组（74.1%对64.0%，p=0.016）。新冠病毒感染组中有上学儿童的比例更高（44.6%对30.6%，p=0.001），以及上幼儿园/送保姆照料的儿童比例更高（49.0%对24.4%，p<0.001）。在三级医院和地区医院工作的医护人员感染率之间没有显著差异。按资历分析，新冠病毒感染的医生和护士比例也没有显著差异。
我们的研究提供了森美兰州儿科医护人员中新冠病毒患病率及相关感染因素的估计，反映了该疫情在该州儿科部门的影响范围和程度。大多数感染是由家庭接触导致的，感染的医护人员中有年幼子女的比例更高。
