Re-Infection of COVID-19 in Lao health care workers: Vientiane capital, Champasak and Luangphabang, Lao PDR
Journal Title: International Journal of Public Health Asia Pacific (IJPHAP) - Year 2024, Vol 3, Issue 7
Abstract
Background: The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic was officially declared in early 2020 with reports of re-infections emerging by mid-2020. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention defines re-infection as cases where individuals test positive for COVID-19, either through Antigen Test Kits (ATK) or Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests, after previously recovering and testing negative for 90 days. Lao PDR witnessed a significant surge in cases among various sectors including the healthcare workers (HCWs) who were in close contacts of previously infected individuals. Objectives: To determine the re-infection rates of COVID-19 in HCWs at Lao hospital settings. Methods: This cross-sectional study employed standardized questionnaires to gather demographic information, history of COVID-19 infections, and associated factors from HCWs participants. After obtaining ethical approval, data was collected and meticulously recorded in Microsoft Excel 2020. Subsequently, the recorded data was entered into a database for analysis. Results: The study included 405 participants, predominantly female (80%) with an average age of 37.9 ±11(20-67) years. Majority of participants (75.5%) served in patient care departments, with 47% being nurses. Remarkably, 87% had been actively engaged in hospital duties prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. Regarding vaccination, 77% had received the Sinopharm vaccine, while smaller percentages were vaccinated with Astra Zeneca (13%), Johnson & Johnson (4%), Pfizer (4%), and Sputnik (2%). Of the 245 HCWs who were infected at least once, 59 experienced re-infections (2-3 times), resulting in a re-infection rate of 24.1% (95% CI: 18.7% - 29.4%). Re-infected individuals exhibited symptoms within an average of 3.27 days, with most diagnoses made using ATK (76.27%). The majority (88.1%) of re-infected HCWs reported mild symptoms. Notably, 96% of HCWs with recurrent infections engaged in social activities weekly. Conclusion: Despite high immunization rates among study participants, the study underscored the persistent risk of COVID-19 re-infection among healthcare workers in Lao PDR, emphasizing the importance of ongoing preventive measures. However, the study acknowledged the limitations of retrospective interviews and emphasized the need for continuous surveillance and proactive strategies to prevent future outbreaks.
Authors and Affiliations
Thidachanh Soukhasem, Mick Soukavong, Angkham Ounavong
Keywords
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- EP ID EP754037
- DOI https://doi.org/10.62992/2a5wha16
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