Table 1 Characteristics of 38 healthcare workers who were exposed to a MERS patient and/or his body fluids
Characteristics | |
Gender, n (%) | |
- Male | 8 (21.1) |
- Female | 30 (78.9) |
Age, years (Mean ± SD) | 38.6 (11.1) |
Staff position, n (%) | |
- Physician | 3 (7.9) |
- Nurse | 8 (21.1) |
- Nursing or patient assistant | 3 (7.9) |
- Radiology technician | 8 (21.1) |
- Laboratory personnel | 15 (39.4) |
- Maid | 1 (2.6) |
Chronic medical condition, n (%) | |
- None | 28 (73.7) |
- Allergy | 5 (13.1) |
- Hypertension | 2 (5.3) |
- Dyslipidemia | 2 (5.3) |
- Diabetes | 1 (2.6) |
Type of work, n (%) | |
- With patient | 23 (60.5) |
- With patient’s blood and body fluids | 15 (39.5) |
Type of contact, n (%)a | |
- Touching the patient | 19 (50.0) |
- Touching the patient’s equipment | 19 (50.0) |
- Examining clinical specimens | 15 (39.5) |
- Obtaining clinical specimens | 5 (13.2) |
- Cleaning the patient’s room | 2 (5.3) |
Activities with the patient, n (%)a | |
- Positioning | 16 (42.1) |
- Examining the patient’s blood or body fluids | 15 (39.5) |
- Feeding | 9 (23.7) |
- Bed bathing | 8 (21.1) |
- Radiography | 8 (21.1) |
- Assessment of vital signs | 7 (18.4) |
- Physical examination | 6 (15.8) |
- Medical or intravenous fluid administration | 6 (15.8) |
- Airway care | 4 (10.5) |
- Blood, urine or fecal collection | 4 (10.5) |
- Linen changing | 4 (10.5) |
- Nasopharyngeal specimen collection | 2 (5.3) |
Infection control practices while in contact with the patient or his blood and/or body fluids, n (%) | |
- Performing hand hygiene | 38 (100) |
- Wearing an N95 respirator | 38 (100) |
- Performing a fit test | 38 (100) |
- Wearing a gown | 38 (100) |
- Wearing gloves | 38 (100) |
- Wearing eye protection | 38 (100) |
- Wearing a cap | 38 (100) |
Contacts of healthcare workers working in the patient’s room, median (IQR), times | 2 (1–11) |
Cumulative contact duration of healthcare workers working in the patient’s room, median (IQR), min | 35.0 (20.0–165.0) |
Distance between healthcare workers and a patient while worked in the patient’s room, n (%) | |
- <1 meter | 21 (91.3) |
- 1–2 meters | 2 (8.7) |
Contacts of healthcare workers working with the patient’s blood or body fluids in laboratory, median (IQR), times | 2 (1–2) |
Cumulative contact duration of healthcare workers working with the patient’s blood or body fluids in the laboratory, median (IQR), min | 67.5 (43.7–117.5) |