Effect of a national policy of universal masking and uniform criteria for severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) exposure on hospital staff infection and quarantine.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To determine the effect of 2 regulations issued by the Israel Ministry of Health on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections and quarantine among healthcare workers (HCWs) in general hospitals.

Design

Before-and-after intervention study without a control group (interrupted time-series analysis).

Setting

All 29 Israeli general hospitals.

Participants

All HCWs.

Interventions

Two national regulations were issued on March 25, 2020: one required universal masking of HCWs, patients, and visitors in general hospitals and the second defined what constitutes HCW exposure to severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and when quarantine is required.

Results

Overall, 283 HCWs were infected at work or from an unknown source. Bef

SUBMITTER: Temkin E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8144835 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature