COVID–19 Information, Demand and Willingness to Pay for Protective Gear in the UK

In the first month of the UK first lockdown, we studied the demand and willingness to pay (WTP) for hand sanitizer gel, disposable face masks and disposable gloves, and how information on tested people and coronavirus deaths explains the demand and WTP for these products. The specific hypotheses to test and concrete questions to study were pre-registered in AsPredicted (#38962) on 10 April 2020, and an online survey was launched in Prolific on a sample of the UK general population representative by age, sex and ethnicity on 11 April 2020. We find that there is a demand for these products, estimate the average WTP for them, and show that the provision of information affected the demand (and WTP) for disposable face masks. Providing information on the numbers of coronavirus cumulative tested people and coronavirus cumulative deaths increases the stated demand for disposable face masks by about 8 percentage points [95% CI: 0.8, 15.1] and 11 percentage points [95% CI: 3.7, 18.2], respectively. JEL Classifications: C99, D12, I12, I18

Impact of occupational exposure to COVID-19 on the physical and mental health of an essential workgroup: New York City transit workers

Background and purpose: Early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City (NYC) vowed to “keep the subways running” despite the lack of plans in place for protecting the health and well-being of transit workers. This study was designed to assess the impact of employment during the early phase of the pandemic on this essential frontline workforce. Methods, settings, and study participants: A convenience sample of members (stratified by job title) of the NYC Transport Workers Union, Local 100, was recruited in August 2020 to participate in an anonymous, cross-sectional, internet-based survey. Results: The demographics of the sample participants (N = 645) reflected union membership, ie, 82 percent male, 29 percent Black; 27 percent Hispanic, and 59 percent ≥age 50 years. At the time of the “NYC Pause” (March 22, 2020) when mandatory stay-at-home orders were issued, transit workers had limited worksite protections. Many reported a lack of such basics as face masks (43 percent), hand sanitizer (40 percent), and disposable gloves (34 percent). A high proportion (87 percent) were concerned about getting infected at work. Lack of certain protections was significantly associated with both fear of contagion at work and mental health symptoms. Nearly 24 per­cent of participants reported a history of COVID-19 infection. Self-reported infection was significantly correlated with lack of certain protections, including respiratory masks (p 0.001), disposable gloves (p 0.001), and hand sanitizer (p 0.001). Infection was also significantly associated with mental health symptoms (p 0.001). By August 2020, despite participants reporting that many worksite protections were then in place, 72 percent of workers were still fearful for their safety at work, eg, because of potential exposure due to passengers not wearing masks, and risk of verbal abuse and physical assault by passengers angered when asked to wear face masks. Workers who were fearful for their safety at work were more than six times more likely to report mental health symptoms (p 0.001). Conclusions: Lack of worksite protections before “NYC Pause” (March 22, 2020) was significantly associated with self-reported infection, fear, and mental health symptoms in TWU, Local 100 members. To reduce the risk of adverse impacts associated with bioevents in all essential work groups, and across all essential occupational settings, infection control preparedness, early recognition of risk, and implementation of tailored risk reduction strategies are imperative. Pandemic preparedness is fundamental to protecting the health and well-being of essential workers and crucial in controlling the spread of disease in the community. Bioevent preparedness for all essential frontline workgroups will also help reduce occupational health inequities. Workers at risk, regardless of setting, deserve and have the right to equal protections under federal and state law.

Mastery and glove use in nursing practice at the Hassan II University Teaching Hospital of Fes- Morocco

Gloves are worn to protect hands from contamination and microorganisms; this measurement tries to isolate the hands of the healthcare workers to ensure a better protection, with an aim of minimizing the risk of transmission of infectious agents to patients. This survey aims at assessing knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards disposable gloves use among nursing staff at Hassan II University Teaching Hospital in Fez. This is a cross-sectional prospective and evaluative study that covers a two-month period. Data were collected using an anonymous and self-administered questionnaire. The population studied was quite young with 76,5% aged between 20-30 years. The results have shown that 264 (85.99%) of participants had received training in disposable gloves mastering. Moreover, 161 (52.3%) claimed to change always disposable gloves while moving from one patient to another. In contrast, 231 (75.2%) emphasized the need to change gloves each time they have been in contact with blood or other body fluids. However, the Studies by self- administered questionnaires, as is the case for our investigation, inform about self-declared claims and are not always related to practical implications Inappropriate glove use was frequently declared in this study. This survey showed a misconception of the risk in several practice situations, some good results of wearing gloves reflect this engendered feeling of individual protection.

Effect of oral hygiene education on gingival health status among the pregnant women in Jamshoro.

Objectives: The rational of this study was to prevent pregnancy gingivitis through awareness and improvement of oral hygiene practices during pregnancy. This will consequently reduce the prevalence and severity of gum diseases. Study Design: Observational study. Setting: Outpatients Department of Gynecology, Unit 4, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro. Period: January 2017 to February 2018. Material & Methods: The oral examination was done at First visit (First Trimester) and Gingival index was recorded. All these participants were provided awareness regarding best oral hygiene. After 3 months participants were re-examined and gingival index was re-recorded. Gingival status was recorded through Gingival Index (GI) using disposable gloves (Supermax disposable gloves Made in Malaysia) and sterilized dental examination instruments with blunt ended (noninvasive) probe on the same visit. Results: The overall mean age of study subjects was 27.80±4.03 years, among 340 study subjects, 129(37.9) females were in first trimester of their pregnancy and 211(62.1%) were in second trimester at first visit. Descriptive statics of gingival index assessment score of gingival index at first visit was 1.95±0.51. Conclusion: Oral hygiene education and practices has improved the pregnancy related gum problems and has lessened the severity of gingivitis.