EIP Project to Address COVID-19 among Healthcare Personnel
Overview
This project measures the number and describes the characteristics of healthcare personnel (HCP) exposed to and infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. It also describes the potential risk or protective factors for COVID-19 among HCP.
The project includes HCP who have tested positive for COVID-19; in some sites the project also includes HCP who have tested negative for COVID-19 for comparison. The information gathered from HCP in this project will help inform policies and procedures for healthcare facilities to protect the healthcare workforce.
Definition of Healthcare Personnel
For this project, healthcare personnel (HCP) include all paid and unpaid persons serving in healthcare settings who have potential direct or indirect exposures to patients or infectious materials: for example, physicians, nurses, students, respiratory therapists, phlebotomists, laboratory staff, transport or food service, housekeeping, volunteers, and maintenance personnel.
Objectives
- Describe characteristics, including clinical activities and personal protective equipment (PPE) use, among HCP with and without COVID-19
- Identify potential risk or protective factors for COVID-19 among HCP
Methods
This project is being conducted in the 10 Emerging Infections Program (EIP) sites (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Tennessee).
In each EIP site, selected healthcare facilities were invited to participate in this project. Using information provided by the healthcare facilities or local or state health departments, HCP who have tested positive for COVID-19 are contacted by telephone, text messages, or e-mail to request participation in this project. In some sites, randomly selected HCP who tested negative for COVID-19 will also be contacted to request participation for comparison.
For HCP that agree to participate, an EIP staff member will schedule and complete an interview via telephone. In selected sites, HCP may complete and submit an electronic form to EIP staff members without a telephone interview. Information collected includes demographics, medical conditions, healthcare roles and location of work in healthcare facilities, location and activities during potential exposures to SARS-CoV-2, and PPE use.
Timeline
The project is complete, and no further interviews are being conducted. The project is in the data analysis phase.
Publications
Chea N, Brown CJ, Eure T, Alkis Ramirez R, Blazek G, Penna A, Li R, Czaja C, Johnston H, Barter D, Feighner Miller B, Angell K, Marshall K, Fell A, Lovett S, Lim S, Lynfield R, Shrum Davis S, Phipps E, Sievers M, Dumyati G, Concannon C, McCullough K, Woods Am, Seshadri S, Myers C, Pierce R, Ocampo V, Guzman-Cottrill J, Escutia G, Samper M, Thompson N, Magill SS, Grigg, C. Risk Factors for SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among US Healthcare Personnel, May–December 2020. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2022;28(1):95-103.
Chea N, Eure T, Penna A, Brown C, Nadle J, Godine D, Frank L, Czaja C, Johnston H, Barter D, Feighner Miller B, Angell K, Marshall K, Meek J, Brackney M, Carswell S, Thomas S, Wilson L, Perlmutter R, Marceaux-Galli K, Fell A, Lim S, Lynfield R, Shrum Davis S, Phipps E, Sievers M, Dumyati G, Concannon C, McCullough, K Woods A, Seshadri S, Myers C, Pierce R, Ocampo V, Guzman-Cottrill J, Escutia G, Samper M, Pena S, Adre C, Groenewold M, Thompson N, Magill SS. Practices and activities among healthcare personnel with severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection working in different healthcare settings—ten Emerging Infections Program sites, April–November 2020external icon. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2021;1-5. doi:10.1017/ice.2021.262