Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Occupational Risk for Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Among Healthcare Providers.

Abstract

Background: The effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the rates and trends of Needlestick and sharp injuries (NSSIs) and splash injuries (SIs) among healthcare providers (HCPs) is not well defined.

Methods: A retrospective study analyzed the rates of injuries among HCPs during the pre-pandemic (38 months) and pandemic (37 months) periods. Single interrupted time-series analysis (SITSA) was employed to assess the impact of the pandemic on injury rates.

Results: During the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods, 608 and 637 NSSIs and 137 and 120 SIs were reported, respectively. No statistically significant difference was identified in the median monthly rates of NSSIs (0.34 vs. 0.37; p=0.622) and SIs (0.075 vs. 0.047; p=0.094) per 1000 inpatient days, nor their combined risk (0.439 vs. 0.434; p=0.449). The SITSA indicated a marginally significant trend during the pandemic, with a monthly 0.0028% decrease in NSSI/SI rates (p = 0.059). Subsequent SITSA revealed significant changes in rates of NSSI during the pandemic, with rates rising early (p = 0.016) and falling marginally later (p = 0.051).

Conclusions: We report no statistically significant difference in the rates of NSSIs/SIs between the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. HCPs remain at risk for occupational injuries, emphasizing targeted training and well-designed infection control policies.