*Address for Correspondence: Neveen Shalalfa, Department of Family Medicine, Ministry of Health, Alquds University, Palestine, Mobile: +0597117959; Email: noviheeh@gmail.com
Received: 25 August 2020; Accepted: 14 September 2020; Published: 15 September 2020
Citation of this article: Shalalfa N, Alkaila M, Alshakhra K, Shraim R, Aleeh I, et al. (2020) Prevalence of positive COVID-19 among health care workers who care for patients infected with the novel coronavirus: A retrospective study. Rea Int J of Community med and Pub Health. Rea Int J of Community med and Pub Health. 1(1): 034-036. DOI: 10.37179/rijcmph.000006.
Background: Limited information is available about COVID-19 infections among health care workers (HCW). Detection of COVID-19 cases in health care workers is important for hospital infection control and prevention policy in Palestine. The aim of this study is to describe the prevalence of positive COVID-19 among health care workers who contracted the patients during the pandemic.
Methods: This retrospective study included all health care workers who contact patients infected with COVID-19 patients from March 2020 to mid of August 2020. They were tested by the use of real-time reverse-transcriptase PCR on samples from nasopharyngeal swabs.
Results: A total number of (1452) health care workers were screened. Most positive cases were nurses followed by physicians and other personnel. This study also showed that most cases were from Hebron.
Conclusion: the prevalence of positive COVID-19 among health care workers who take care of patients infected with coronavirus was (18)%. Further studies are needed to ????find an effective strategy for a safer working environment.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Novel coronavirus; Health care workers, Palestine.
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