HCW COVID-19 exposures linked to lapses in eye protection

Editor's Note

In this study, researchers from the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, find that the use of eye protection by health care workers (HCWs) is important in preventing patient-to-HCW transmission of COVID-19.

Of 345 HCWs who had a significant occupational exposure to patients with COVID-19, nurses accounted for 55.8%, and most occurred in the hospital setting. Only a third of exposures occurred in COVID-19 units.

In COVID-19 units, the risk of exposure was more often attributed to lack of respirator use during aerosol-generating procedures. In non-COVID-19 units, the risk of exposure was more often attributed to lapses in appropriate eye protection.

Overall, a lack of eye protection correlated significantly with transmission of COVID-19.

The findings support the use of eye protection by all HCWs, including those in units that do not typically care for patients with COVID-19, the researchers say. Appropriate use of PPE remains a critical mitigation strategy to decrease the transmission of COVID-19 to HCWs.