PPE important to protect healthcare workers, HCQ is of no use: Study

A recent study carried out in India has found that chances of health care workers (HCW) posted in high-risk zones contracting Covid-19 gets reduced if they are provided with adequate PPE kits. The study also concluded that Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has no significant use

The study titled ‘Prevalence of flu-like symptoms and Covid-19 in healthcare workers from India’, was published in the Journal of the Association of Physicians of India (JAPI).

The study was carried out between March and May and the aim was to assess the risks faced by doctors, nurse and medical staff who are leading the efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

Nearly 18,000 HCWs were approached for this study. Of them, 4,403 responded and adequate data of 3,667 was available for analysis.

“In our HCW cohort, 539 of the 3,667 participants (14.7 per cent) had flu-like symptoms. A total of 1,353 of the 3,667 HCWs were tested for Covid-19.However, only 1,113 were included in the final analysis due to unavailability of results in the remaining. We observed a prevalence of 1.8 per cent (that is 20 out of 1,113) in this cohort. People with travel history (in last 30 days) had higher incidence of flu-like symptoms (44 out of 539, which is 8.2% vs 113 out of 3,128, which is 3.6%). However, there was no difference in Covid-19 positivity rates,” the study states.

The study also found that travel history, posting in high-risk zones and PPE usage did not correlate with Covid-19 positivity.

“People who were symptomatic had higher positivity (10 out of 193 i.e.5.2 per cent) as compared to those who were asymptomatic (10 out of 920 i.e. 1.1 per cent). Similarly, HCWs posted in the high-risk zones had more symptoms than those working in the low-risk zones (169 out of 539 i.e. 31.4 per cent as against 679 out of 3,128 i.e. 21.7 per cent,” the states.

Sixty-seven per cent of the health workers who were surveyed for this study had taken Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). This is 755 out of 1,113 people. Of them, 14 people (1.9 per cent) tested positive for Covid-19. This figure was 6 (1.7 per cent) among those who did not take HCQ.

The study notes that many HCWs were taking HCQ/ Chloroquine/Azithromycin prophylaxis on an individual basis.

But it was found that “HCQ prophylaxis played no role in prevention of this infection”.

“Multiple systematic reviews also concluded that there is no pertinent data to support use of HCQ outside that of research, and there is lack of clinical data to actually support its efficacy, adverse effects like prolongation of QTc and tends to instil a false sense of protection,” the study said.

Methodology

The study was done between March 23 and April 30. Data on flu-like symptoms, travel history, posting in high-risk or low risk zones, and prophylactic drugs was collected via online questionnaire-based survey of healthcare workers at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, New Delhi.

The study population included healthcare workers of Max Super Speciality Hospitals, Delhi-NCR (five hospitals), BLK Hospital, Delhi, and Nanavati Hospital, Mumbai.

People with flu-like illness, defined as fever (more than 100°F), cough, sore throat, cold/stuffy nose, and breathlessness were considered for this study.

The hospitals were divided into high risk and low risk zones. Covid-19 ward or Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Emergency, and flu-clinic were classified as high-risk zones in the hospital, while other areas were classified as low-risk zones.

For HCWs working in high-risk zones it was made mandatory to wear full PPE, while those working in the low-risk zone were following the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines. – India Today