Hot days and Covid-19: online survey of nurses and nursing assistants to assess occupational heat stress in Germany during summer 2020
Jegodka, Yvette ; Lagally, Lena ; Mertes, Hanna ; Deering, Katharina ; Schoierer, Julia ; Buchberger, Barbara ; Bose-O'Reilly, Stephan
The Journal of Climate Change and Health
2021
3
August
100031
climate change ; epidemic disease ; personal protective equipment ; heat stress assessment ; healthcare worker ; survey
Occupational risks
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joclim.2021.100031
English
Bibliogr.
"Working in personal protective equipment is often needed during pandemics, to protect nurses, doctors and staff from an infection. However, the equipment can also hamper efficiency and productivity of healthcare workers and lead to personal discomfort, for example, during heat waves.
According to our study, nurses and nursing assistants in Germany are often older than 45 years and, in many cases, suffer from pre-existing conditions, which exacerbate the problems with personal protective equipment during periods of hot temperatures. Many healthcare institutions do not offer adequate ways to mitigate heat stress for their staff.
The results from this study can inform policy makers and clinical practitioners to modify their protocols to include better protective measures during extreme heat or other adverse environmental conditions."
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