Occupational safety and health guidelines in relation to COVID‐19 risk, death risk, and case‐fatality proportion: An international, ecological study
Abstract Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) began in 2019 with several unknown factors. The World Health Organization (WHO) subsequently developed COVID‐19 occupational safety and health (OSH) guidelines to reduce occupational COVID‐19 transmission. Many countries also developed their ow...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Health Science Reports |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.539 |
| _version_ | 1797224931747954688 |
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| author | Morgan Roberts Steven M. Thygerson John D. Beard Camille Clark Emma Montague |
| author_facet | Morgan Roberts Steven M. Thygerson John D. Beard Camille Clark Emma Montague |
| author_sort | Morgan Roberts |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) began in 2019 with several unknown factors. The World Health Organization (WHO) subsequently developed COVID‐19 occupational safety and health (OSH) guidelines to reduce occupational COVID‐19 transmission. Many countries also developed their own COVID‐19 OSH guidelines, but whether these guidelines included WHO's guidelines and whether including WHO's guidelines in countries' COVID‐19 OSH guidelines reduced COVID‐19 transmission is unknown. Objectives The objectives of our study were to (1) compare the COVID‐19 OSH guidelines of several countries to WHO's OSH guidelines, (2) estimate associations between characteristics of countries and their OSH guidelines and the number of WHO's OSH guidelines included in countries' OSH guidelines, and (3) estimate associations between WHO's OSH guidelines included in countries' OSH guidelines and COVID‐19 risk, death risk, and case‐fatality proportion. Methods This study represents international, ecological research of 36 countries from all six world health regions. Countries' COVID‐19 OSH guidelines were compared with WHO's OSH guidelines. Linear regression models adjusted for potential confounders were used to estimate associations of interest. Results The median number of WHO's 15 COVID‐19 OSH guidelines included in countries' COVID‐19 OSH guidelines was eight. Countries' COVID‐19 OSH guidelines focused on workers included significantly more of WHO's COVID‐19 OSH guidelines than countries' COVID‐19 OSH guidelines focused on general populations. Including “provide personal protective equipment for workers” and “create workplace policy for wearing personal protective equipment” in countries' COVID‐19 OSH guidelines were significantly related to decreased COVID‐19 risk, death risk, and/or case‐fatality proportion. Conclusions Countries' COVID‐19 OSH guidelines should include WHO's guidelines, focus on workers, and include “provide personal protective equipment for workers” and “create workplace policy for wearing personal protective equipment.” |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T13:33:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-40c0feae6e3444c0a2d83301ec063331 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2398-8835 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T14:00:58Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Health Science Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-40c0feae6e3444c0a2d83301ec0633312024-04-03T12:41:03ZengWileyHealth Science Reports2398-88352022-03-0152n/an/a10.1002/hsr2.539Occupational safety and health guidelines in relation to COVID‐19 risk, death risk, and case‐fatality proportion: An international, ecological studyMorgan Roberts0Steven M. Thygerson1John D. Beard2Camille Clark3Emma Montague4Department of Public Health Brigham Young University Provo Utah USADepartment of Public Health Brigham Young University Provo Utah USADepartment of Public Health Brigham Young University Provo Utah USADepartment of Public Health Brigham Young University Provo Utah USADepartment of Public Health Brigham Young University Provo Utah USAAbstract Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) began in 2019 with several unknown factors. The World Health Organization (WHO) subsequently developed COVID‐19 occupational safety and health (OSH) guidelines to reduce occupational COVID‐19 transmission. Many countries also developed their own COVID‐19 OSH guidelines, but whether these guidelines included WHO's guidelines and whether including WHO's guidelines in countries' COVID‐19 OSH guidelines reduced COVID‐19 transmission is unknown. Objectives The objectives of our study were to (1) compare the COVID‐19 OSH guidelines of several countries to WHO's OSH guidelines, (2) estimate associations between characteristics of countries and their OSH guidelines and the number of WHO's OSH guidelines included in countries' OSH guidelines, and (3) estimate associations between WHO's OSH guidelines included in countries' OSH guidelines and COVID‐19 risk, death risk, and case‐fatality proportion. Methods This study represents international, ecological research of 36 countries from all six world health regions. Countries' COVID‐19 OSH guidelines were compared with WHO's OSH guidelines. Linear regression models adjusted for potential confounders were used to estimate associations of interest. Results The median number of WHO's 15 COVID‐19 OSH guidelines included in countries' COVID‐19 OSH guidelines was eight. Countries' COVID‐19 OSH guidelines focused on workers included significantly more of WHO's COVID‐19 OSH guidelines than countries' COVID‐19 OSH guidelines focused on general populations. Including “provide personal protective equipment for workers” and “create workplace policy for wearing personal protective equipment” in countries' COVID‐19 OSH guidelines were significantly related to decreased COVID‐19 risk, death risk, and/or case‐fatality proportion. Conclusions Countries' COVID‐19 OSH guidelines should include WHO's guidelines, focus on workers, and include “provide personal protective equipment for workers” and “create workplace policy for wearing personal protective equipment.”https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.539adherencecoronavirusCOVID‐19ecologicalguidanceinternational |
| spellingShingle | Morgan Roberts Steven M. Thygerson John D. Beard Camille Clark Emma Montague Occupational safety and health guidelines in relation to COVID‐19 risk, death risk, and case‐fatality proportion: An international, ecological study Health Science Reports adherence coronavirus COVID‐19 ecological guidance international |
| title | Occupational safety and health guidelines in relation to COVID‐19 risk, death risk, and case‐fatality proportion: An international, ecological study |
| title_full | Occupational safety and health guidelines in relation to COVID‐19 risk, death risk, and case‐fatality proportion: An international, ecological study |
| title_fullStr | Occupational safety and health guidelines in relation to COVID‐19 risk, death risk, and case‐fatality proportion: An international, ecological study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Occupational safety and health guidelines in relation to COVID‐19 risk, death risk, and case‐fatality proportion: An international, ecological study |
| title_short | Occupational safety and health guidelines in relation to COVID‐19 risk, death risk, and case‐fatality proportion: An international, ecological study |
| title_sort | occupational safety and health guidelines in relation to covid 19 risk death risk and case fatality proportion an international ecological study |
| topic | adherence coronavirus COVID‐19 ecological guidance international |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.539 |
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