Prevention
Epidemic diseases after the initial outbreak in hospitals may lead to outbreaks among patients and health care workers. It may even spread to the local community if visitors become infected, leading to increase patient mortality and medical costs in the community which could be prevented by protection measures [9].
The study by Tao et al. aimed to highlight the need for protective measures and recommend proper emergency management programs to prevent and control nosocomial infections (COVID-19) in China. They realized that at the Union Hospital, the amount of knowledge and information among healthcare providers about protective equipment in various medical departments, including dermatology, is very low. Therefore, management protocols were set up to prevent and control the disease, including the establishment of multilayer triage from the entrance of the hospital to the entrance of the wards. In addition, measures were taken for dermatologists and hair specialists to work with nurses at dermatology triage stations to evaluate patients if necessary. Moreover, the use of online counseling for patients with mild and non-emergency symptoms to prevent unnecessary referrals was prescribed [7].
Another prevention study was conducted in Wenjiang Hosptial in China to ensure the effective implementation of new coronavirus prevention and control measures. A three-layer control and prevention system was implemented: (A) prevention and primary control at the main entrance of the hospital, (B) monitoring and evaluation at the emergency entrance and (C) supervision at the entrance of each ward. At each entrance, professional nurses and security staff were responsible for closely monitoring the temperature, biographies of possible sources of the virus, identifying staff, and recording staff entry and exit. In other words, in each entrance, suspicious patients were carefully examined and in case of infection, the necessary isolation and treatment measures were performed. In addition, each unit was inspected at least three times a week for the effectiveness of the protective measures of different employees in the workplace [10].
In the same vein, the study by Chin et al. in Taiwan stressed the need for protection and preventive measures for healthcare workers during Coronavirus COVID-19. During the pandemic, health care workers demanded to receive more equipment, which means that it is important to protect health care workers. This is because of the fact that health care providers interact closely with vulnerable patients that may lead to anxiety and lack of willingness to work. The results of the study showed that psychological support of health care providers, availability of equipment, facilities to break the community-hospital infection cycle, and use of public health standards are of great importance [11].
Finally, the study by Muh et al., examined the consequences of prevention and control in 2020, concluded that protecting health care providers from patients in hospitals should be of prime importance. This is because many patients have unusual manifestations of the disease or are waiting for a definite diagnosis, which can be dangerous for health care providers. Therefore, the use of disinfectants and protection equipment to control the transfer cycle of the disease in hospitals are very important [12]
Control
To control epidemics, some priorities should be considered such as controlling an epidemic in its early stages, strengthening knowledge about prevention and control, and ensuring full attention to the implementation of prevention and control strategies [13].
In a study by Kilic et al. in Turkey, to control the coronavirus epidemic, measures were taken to control the infection. The most important of which is hand hygiene and proper use of personal protective equipment by healthcare providers. In so doing, relevant instructions, including the definition of suspected and definite cases and preventive and control measures for the transmission of the disease in all medical centers were immediately developed and notified to health care professionals [14].
In the same line, Huang et al., study in the radiology department of West Hospital in China, revealed more than 3,000 patients with suspected or definite COVID-19 were referred for imaging procedures in less than 50 days. In the end, none of the radiology staffs was infected with the virus following engineering measures (triage and zoning, low-dose chest CT protocol, and standard precautions in radiology). Therefore, strategic planning and adequate protection and control measures can help protect patients and staff against highly infectious disease while maintaining high performance [15]. The same results were also reported in Melissa et al. study of infection control in healthcare providers. They concluded that by providing infection prevention and control measures for emergency care workers, they can take care of the patients as best as they can although the implementation of these guidelines require a unified approach [16]
Safety
Dealing with Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) and its outbreak require fully equipped and dedicated health facilities for patient management. Meanwhile, health and environmental care workers must have the necessary safety to provide services to patients [17].
Yogesh et al. conducted a cross-sectional and hospital-based survey from April 2020 to June 2020 to examine workplace safety and mental health of health care workers. They concluded that health care workers who are at the forefront of dealing with Coronavirus disease are at increased risk of developing COVID-19 infections.. When contaminated, health workers and patients need to rest to prevent infection, which puts pressure on their health systems. Thus, paying attention to the safety of the mental health workplace is very important for health care providers [18].
By the same token, Tongji at Wuhan Hospital in China conducted a study on effective safety management measures in the field of nursing during COVID-19 disease epidemic. They concluded by formulating solutions for nurses' safety: (A) forming an epidemic leadership team as a responsible system for designing emergency plans, (B) selecting experienced nurses as head nurses in different wards, (C) rotating nursing staff and observing the arrangement and composition of new and old staff in wards, (D) highlighting the role of nurse managers in the front line as a model and instructor to create a sense of responsibility and improve the nurses’ morale and (E) providing adequate materials and equipment for nurses at the forefront of exposure to coronavirus.
Likewise, Chekol et al. study designed to assess the safety of operating room staff that are part of service personnel. They concluded that all health care personnel should use personal protective equipment based on the type of patients’ surgery. Besides, selective operations should be delayed and emergency procedures like burns, cesarean operation, malignant neoplasia, and traumatic injury should be performed using personal protective equipment [20]