Health

Some health care workers clueless they had COVID-19

BOSTON — They get temperature checks on the way in. Some may be asked about possible symptoms. But a new study finds health care workers infected with COVID-19 often have no clue they have it.

“It’s one of the reasons why many of us think that we should actually start bringing in a policy of testing people regularly,” said PaulSax, MD, clinical director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “Health care workers are a perfect example of people who should be tested regularly.”

The study, published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), surveyed more than 3,000 health care workers at 13 medical centers across the United States, including two in Massachusetts: Bay State Medical Center in Springfield and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

A blood draw confirmed that about 6% of the workers (194) had evidence of a prior COVID-19 infection in the form of antibodies. Yet nearly a third (29%) of the positives reported they had no symptoms consistent with COVID. About 70% reported never having a positive COVID test before.

The study found mask-wearing made a difference in worker infection rate. Those who reported wearing masks all the time reduced the risk of infection one-third over those less committed to mask-wearing.

“We wear masks in all patient care areas and we ask that our patients wear masks too,” Sax said. “One thing that we’ve all observed is that the occurrence of common respiratory tract infections has plummeted.”

The study stresses the importance not only of access to testing -- but adequate supplies of personal protective equipment or PPE.

“The issue of PPE is not going to go away anytime soon,” said Judith Pare, MS, PhD, director of nursing at the Massachusetts Nurses Association. “PPE is the most effective means we have for preventing community spread.”

But this past spring, it was in such short supply at many hospitals that health care workers were forced to reuse items meant for single-use only.

“We don’t ever want to repeat the events of the spring,” Pare said. “I don’t ever want to see a nurse wearing a Hefty trash bag because they did not have an effective gown. Nor do I want to see a nurse reusing gowns that were meant for one-time use.”

Right now, she said, there is no guarantee that will not happen, should COVID ramp back up in the colder months.

“We do have adequate supplies of PPE,” Sax said -- but he added that the Brigham is now aware how quickly things can go downhill in a pandemic.

“We are, of course, just like every other hospital thinking ahead to what it’s going to be like if we have another big surge,” he said. “And we’re in the process of preparing for that. It is an extremely important challenge. One that we actually didn’t anticipate until COVID-19 hit. Just the way we supply hospitals really can be stressed very quickly. So we have to be ready for that.”

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