An NHS hospital that has improved the type of face masks worn by staff in its COVID departments has seen cases drop by up to 100%, new research shows.
Staff working on coronavirus services of the Addenbrooke Hospital in Cambridge stopped using Fluid Resistant Surgical Masks (FRSM) and replaced them with Filtering Masks 3 (FFP3) in December 2020.
They made the decision, contrary to official guidelines, based on test data from their own staff.
Addenbrooke’s, which is part of the University of Cambridge, has tested its doctors and nurses for COVID-19[female[feminine since the start of the pandemic, whether or not they are showing symptoms.
For starters, the data suggests that those working on COVID departments were 47 times more likely to contract the virus than staff working elsewhere in the hospital.
The testing program also indicated that staff caring for coronavirus patients were at a much higher risk of infection even when using the recommended personal protective equipment (PPE).
This saw Addenbrooke’s infection control committee improve the style of face mask worn by COVID staff.
Before the upgrade, cases were highest among COVID service staff for seven of the eight weeks the researchers analyzed.
But after the upgrade, the infection rate in both COVID and non-COVID departments was largely the same.
Until recently, the UK Infection Control Unit (IPC) recommended the use of FFP3 masks only when performing aerosol-generating procedures, such as inserting a breathing tube into the trachea of an patient.
But now the IPC is requiring NHS organizations to conduct their own risk assessments and use FFP3 respirators when they deem appropriate.
Addenbrooke’s research has not been peer reviewed, but is published early to share information as quickly as possible.
Dr Michael Weekes, University of Cambridge Department of Medicine, said: “Our data suggests there is an urgent need to review the PPE offered to healthcare workers…
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Source: news.sky.com
This notice was published: 2021-06-29 02:21:00
