Adherence observations of health care workers (HCW) revealed deficiencies in the usage of recommended personal protective equipment (PPE) among HCW caring on COVID-19 and non-COVID-19-wards during the first period of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in a university hospital in Germany. The adherence wearing surgical face or FFP2-masks, and disinfecting hands prior donning and after doffing of PPE was significantly higher in COVID-19-wards. However, the adherence on COVID-19-wards clearly failed 100 per cent.