Assessing health care worker perceptions of face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic

Am J Infect Control. 2021 Apr;49(4):521-522. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2020.09.006. Epub 2020 Sep 24.

Abstract

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic created a significant disruption in the personal protective equipment (PPE) supply chain while simultaneously creating unprecedented demand for their use. Hospitals pursued different PPE strategies based on local factors, PPE availability, and interpretation of the evolving data on the epidemiology of the disease. After instituting universal face coverings, we sought to assess the comfort and tolerability, along with the advantages and disadvantages for face masks and face shields through a survey of employees at an academic medical center.

Keywords: Face mask; Face shield; PPE; Survey.

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19 / prevention & control*
  • Data Collection
  • Health Personnel*
  • Hospitals
  • Humans
  • Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional*
  • Perception*
  • Personal Protective Equipment*
  • SARS-CoV-2*