Background The transmission speed and concealment of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 have been enhanced. The awareness level and skills of correctly donning and doffing personal protective equipment (PPE) in SARS-CoV-2 containment workers from the mobile cabin hospital are associated with their own health status, and the overall quality of COVID-19 pandemic control.
Objective To understand the awareness and skills of correctly donning and doffing PPE in SARS-CoV-2 containment workers from a mobile cabin hospital.
Methods By use of cluster sampling, 460 SARS-CoV-2 containment workers were selected from the Fourth Branch of Shanghai Mobile Cabin Hospital located in the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) , from April 10 to May 10, 2022. Their awareness and skills of correctly donning and doffing PPE were assessed using an online survey with a self-developed questionnaire named Awareness of Correctly Donning and Doffing Personal Protective Equipment, and using an onsite performance assessment with a self-developed questionnaire named Skills of Correctly Donning and Doffing Personal Protective Equipment, respectively.
Results The survey obtained a response rate of 83.5% (384/460) . According to the survey, both doctors and nurses had significantly higher average scores with regards to the operations at the first donning area, second donning area, front doffing area and first doffing area, second doffing area, and hand hygiene disinfection than public security officers and fire fighters (P<0.05) . All of the 460 cases completed the onsite performance assessment. Both doctors and nurses obtained lower average scores in terms of completing the operations at the first donning area, and donning steps in clean area into contaminated area than public security officers and fire fighters (P<0.05) . Doctors had much lower average score for completing the operations at the first donning area than nurses (P<0.05) .
Conclusion There were significant differences in the levels of awareness and skills of correctly donning and doffing PPE in SARS-CoV-2 containment workers by occupation. Targeted and focused trainings and supervisions should be carried out to improve the mismatching between the levels of awareness and skills.
