Risk and protective factors for severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among healthcare workers: A test-negative case-control study in Québec, Canada.

Objectives: In Québec, Canada, we evaluated the risk of severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection associated with (1) the demographic and employment characteristics among healthcare workers (HCWs) and (2) the workplace and household exposures and the infection prevention and control (IPC) measures among patient-facing HCWs.

Design: Test-negative case-control study.

Setting: Provincial health system.

Physical, Psychological, and Cognitive Profile of Post-COVID Conditions in Healthcare Workers, Quebec, Canada.

Background: The prevalence of post-COVID conditions (PCC) and associated physical, psychological, and cognitive symptoms was assessed among Quebec healthcare workers (HCWs) with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Methods: This case-control study compared 6061 symptomatic HCWs with polymerase chain reaction-confirmed COVID-19 between July 2020 and May 2021 with a random sample of 4390 symptomatic HCWs who were test-negative controls. The prevalence of physical symptoms lasting ≥4 weeks (PCC4w) or ≥12 weeks (PCC12w) was estimated among hospitalized and nonhospitalized cases.

To what extent do paramedics apply safe handling principles when transferring patients from stair chairs to stretchers?

The efficiency of training programmes in handling designed to prevent injuries has rarely been demonstrated by studies in the workplace. This study aimed to identify factors that may favour or inhibit the application of safe handling principles by paramedics performing full-body transfers of patients from a stair chair to a stretcher. In an observational field study, handling methods used in 45 patient transfers from a stair chair to stretcher were characterised.

Overall risk index for patient transfers in total assistance mode executed by emergency medical technician-paramedics in real work situations.

Few studies have quantified the risk of musculoskeletal disorders during patient transfers in total assistance mode in real-life prehospital emergency care situations. An index to assess the overall risk of patient transfers was created; it makes it possible to quantify risk based on the patient's position and the height of the patient's location. An analysis of 71 transfers executed by paramedics in actual work situations showed that moving a patient from the ground was characterized by acute sagittal flexions and axial rotations, respectively, 42% and 12% of the time.