The Effectiveness of Personal Protective Equipment in the Prevention of Corona - Term Paper Example

Project Title: The Effectiveness of personal protective Equipment (PPE) in prevention of Corona Name: Registration No: Tutor: Date: Investigators/Affiliations: The investigators and the affiliations will include the following: The data collectors The data analysts The report compilers The literature reviewers The sample collectors 1. Proposal Summary This proposal presents a research that will be conducted to determine the effectiveness of personal protective equipment (PPE) in prevention of corona disease in Saudi Arabia. In order to achieve this, it presents a background study of the status of corona disease in Saudi Arabia and how it is spread from one person to another. In addition, it presents a background study of the role of personal protective equipment in prevention of viral diseases. The methods section presents a proposal of research process by illustrating the sample selection criteria to be used, data collection methods and how the results of the research will be disseminated. It also presents a number of ethical issues to be observed in order to make the research more authentic. These include the methods that will be used to access the participants in the research as well as how the confidentiality will be observed during data collection process. The last section of this proposal presents the timeline of the research by illustrating the milestones and budget estimates that are necessary in order to accomplish the objectives of the project. 2. Background Corona disease is an infection that affects various parts of the respiratory system such as the nose, sinuses and upper throat sections (Alagaili et al. 2014, p. 28). The main method through which the virus spreads is similar to the methods through which viruses that cause cold are spread from one person to another. The disease can be severe in some cases such as the case where 100 people died in Saudi Arabia due to corona disease. While the disease is mainly common in Saudi Arabia, it has been reported in other continents such as Africa and Europe (Azhar et al.2014, p.134). 2.1. Characteristic of patient suffering from Corona Disease According to WHO 2015 illustration of symptoms of corona disease, the main symptoms of the disease include high fever that reaches a temperature of 30oC in addition to coughing. Corona disease has been identified to spread from one person to another mainly through body contact when people are travelling or when a person stays in a place where corona infection has occurred (Bermingham et al. 2012, p. 80). Other symptoms associated with corona disease include shortness of breath, infection of organs such as lungs that can result into renal failure and in some cases, the person may undergo diarrhoea. 2.2. Epidemiology of Coronavirus in the Middle East The reports about Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MES-CoV) were published in 2012 where the reports from WHO indicated that 956 people were infected with the disease and 351 deaths were confirmed (Oboho et al. 2014). The reported cases were directly associated with travel to countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Iran, Syria, Lebanon and Kuwait. In the United States, two patients showed positive test results of corona virus infection in May 2014 (http://www.cdc.gov/). They have characteristics such as fever and respiratory problems after travelling to Saudi Arabia. No other cases have been reported in the United States in spite of the surveillance activities that have been initiated since the initial discovery of the disease. Most cases of the disease have been discovered in March 2014 in Saudi Arabia. In January, 2015, it was confirmed that there were 102 cases where 92 cases affected those who resided in Saudi Arabia (Madani, Althaqafi & Alraddadi 2014, p. 45). There is continued advisory to international travellers to ensure they protect themselves by wearing protective clothing as well as ensuring they do not get into contact with others as a measure of protecting themselves from MERS. The main host for the virus in the Middle East has been identified to be camels and people have been advised to ensure they do not get into contact with camels unless they have protective facilities. 2.3. Tests for Corona Disease The main tests performed to understand corona disease include negative diagnosis tests such as PCR where the results do not exclude SARS-CoV. Tests also include outcomes of PCR resulting from infection of the patient with coronavirus due to another infection or test results that are incorrect (Cox et al. 2006, p.70). A person may also demonstrate a negative antibody such as lack of detection of an antibody in the next 2 days after the onset of the illness illustrating that there is no infection with SAR-CoV. There are a number of tests that enable understanding of whether a person is suffering from corona disease. These include the use of nose and throat cultures that enable understanding whether cold has been contributed by corona virus (Davis et al. p 64). On the other hand, when there is spread of the infection to the lower respiratory sections, a person can experience pneumonia, particularly when the person is old and has heart diseases or a weak immune system. 2.3. The use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Personal protective equipment is various forms of devices that are worn by professionals at work while performing various tasks so that they are protected from injuries. The use of personal protective equipment is implemented in various fields that include; health, engineering, procurement, warehousing and other areas where employees are subjected to various forms of harms (Dolan et al. 2012, p. 92). The main forms of personal protective equipment include gloves, protective helmets, protective clothing, goggles or other forms of footwear and garments that prevents infection of the person using them. The hazards that are addressed when personal protective equipment is used include chemicals, disease causing organisms, undesired liquid products, biohazards and airborne infections. Most employers especially those in medical environment have been encouraged to enhance the use of personal protective equipment among their staff (http://www.cdc.gov/) . All personal protective equipment should ensure safety of the person using them and they should be used when necessary and put on well so that the user is not effected by the use of the equipment (Jefferson, Mar and Dooley et al. 2011, p. 33). For instance, the PPE should not be too tight on the body of the user and it should ensure the user is protected from a particular hazard for which it is used. Since the discovery of the outbreak of corona disease in Saudi Arabia, it has been recommended that health professionals should use personal protective equipment at all time while attending to patients affected with the illness so that they are not infected with the disease (Tran et al. 2012, p. 77). Moreover, Occupational Health and Safety Act requires that employers must ensure employees are provided with personal protective equipment PPE so that they are protected from hazards at work place such as dust that may contain corona virus that is highly infective. The equipment should be subjected to constant inspection to determine whether there is any damage or worn out part as well as ensuring they are effectively maintained in order to prevent virus penetration in case a person comes into contact with the virus (Krumkamp, Duerr & Reintjes R et al. 2009, p.43). Workers are expected to use personal protective equipment during hand washing according to the instructions of the seller and workers are required to follow instructions and training provided on the use of PPE (Oboho et al. 2014, p. 59). When health workers establish that they are exposed to a person being investigated, they are required to report the exposure to their seniors at the workplace so that measures can be taken to prevent exposure to the virus (Svoboda et al 2004, p.98). If the person under investigation is established to pose high risk of infecting health professionals risk assessment has been suggested as a method of determining the next step (Madani et al. 2014, p. 243). 2.4. Significance of the Research Issue This research issue is of great significance because it will facilitate understanding the current understanding of corona disease in Saudi Arabia as well as the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in prevention of the spread of corona disease among people in Saudi Arabia (Jefferson, Del Mar and Dooley et al. 2015, p. 177). It will enable understanding the gap in knowledge in understanding the manner in which corona disease spreads from one person to another and the manner in which PPE can be used to prevent the spread of corona disease among people in Saudi Arabia. There are a number of benefits that would be achieved as a result of the insight gained from this study. This insight ranges from increased knowledge in understanding the role of personal protective equipment (PPE) in prevention of corona disease as well as the strategies that can be used to prevent the spread of corona disease among the population (Krumkamp, Duerr and Reintjes et al. 2009, p. 166). In addition, the implementation of the results of this report will enable understanding of the financial gains that will be achieved as a result of implementation of personal protective equipment in protection from corona disease. It is expected that this research will result into increased savings in treatment of corona disease in Saudi Arabia and the population will be able to remain healthy. There will also be little finance spent on treatment of corona disease. 3. Aims The main aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in controlling the spread of corona disease among residents of Saudi Arabia. Other objectives of this study include the following: To determine the current understanding of corona disease in Saudi Arabia To determine the effectiveness of use of personal protective equipment in protection from corona disease infection To use evidence based research to recommend the use of PPE in hospitals as a strategy for preventing the spread of corona disease. 4. Hypotheses There are a number of hypotheses that this study tries to evaluate. These hypotheses include the following: H1: There is a relationship between the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and reduced cases of corona disease infection H0: There is no relationship between the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and reduced cases of corona infection 5. Methods This section involves a study that will be conducted to determine the effectiveness of personal care by use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in preventing the spread of corona disease in the population of Saudi Arabia. The Independent variable during this research will be types of personal protective equipment and Personal care strategies. The results of the study will be dependent on these variables. The dependent variable will be the number of infected people and number of recovery cases Type of sampling bias to be used: Bias refers to the emphasis put by a researcher during a particular research. This study will implement omission bias. This is a situation where particular groups of people are eliminated from the study. In this study, people who do not live in areas where corona disease has been reported will not be included in this study. 5.1. Research Design The research design to be used during this study will be a qualitative survey. Qualitative research is a research strategy that involves collection such as ideas, opinions and views regarding a particular activity during a research. During this research, qualitative data collected will be the views and ideas of health personnel in health care facilities in Saudi Arabia about various characteristics of corona disease. In addition, qualitative data collection will involve collection of views, ideas and opinions about the methods of intervention they have put in place to enable them control impacts of corona disease among the population. Also , the health professionals will be asked to explain the effectiveness of hand washing using PPE as a method of preventing corona infection and spread. The PICO concept will be implemented as follows: P. The problem or population of interest will be health professionals as well as residents of Saudi Arabia. The study will involve investigation of the level of the use of hand washing practice in protecting the health professionals and residents of Saudi Arabia from corona disease. It will also involve investigation of the methods used by Saudi Arabian residents to perform self-care practice of hand washing to prevent the spread of corona disease among them. I . Intervention in this case will involve determining various methods of hand washing using PPE that can be implemented by residents of Saudi Arabia and health professionals so that they control the spread of corona disease among them. C. The comparison in this case will be determination of alternative strategies of preventing the spread of corona disease infection apart from hand washing using PPE O. The outcome in this study will be the effects of interventions such as the use of PPE during hand washing on rates of recovery among patients such as the percentage reduction in cases of corona infection as a result of implementation of the intervention strategies. 5.2. Sampling Procedures Sampling procedure to be followed will be a random sampling method. This is where hospitals where respondents will be selected are randomly selected based on accessibility of the researcher to these hospitals. The respondents will then be selected until the right sample is selected to participate in the research. 5.3. Participant Selection Procedure The participants in this study will be doctors, nurses and clinicians in health care institutions in Saudi Arabia. The participants will be selected based on particular criteria. During the research process, the inclusion criteria will involve selection of doctors, nurses and clinicians who have the experience of using PPE in protection against corona disease, those who have the knowledge of corona disease and those who have experience of at least 5 years in health care for contagious diseases such as corona disease. The exclusion criteria will involve excluding those who do not have the knowledge about corona disease and those who do not know about PPE. In addition, those who have experience of less than 5 years in medical care will be excluded from the study. 5.4. Data Collection Method Data collection method to be used during the study is a qualitative survey where the researcher will approach various hospitals where permission has been granted to conduct the research. This will be followed by asking respondents various questions related to the research topic. Various data recording tools that will be used include note-taking, audio recording and taking photographs of the recorded responses during the survey. The recorded data will then be stored in databases for analysis. 5.5. Methods of Results Dissemination When the data has been analysed and report of the results is created, a recommendation for practice will be made and included in the printed results. This will be followed by binding the report and the recommendations and creating a number of copies of the same report. These copies will then be distributed to various stakeholders such as managers of hospitals, health professionals and department of health in Saudi Arabia. In addition, articles will be published in major newspapers and distributed to the public so that they become aware of the status corona disease and the use of PPE in controlling the disease. 6. Ethical Implications There are various ethical issues that will have to be observed in the project. These ethical considerations will be observed from the beginning to the end of the project. The first ethical consideration will involve seeking the permission of authorities in hospitals in Saudi Arabia so that they can allow the researcher to conduct the research. This will involve writing a letter to the main decision makers in most hospitals seeking their permission to conduct a research in their hospitals (Oboho et al.2014, p. 62). In addition, respondents will be provided with an invitation letter seeking their involvement in the research. Those who will be willing to take part will be included in the research while those who will mot be willing will not be included in the research. In addition, respondents who will agree to take part in the research will be assured that the research will keep their responses confidential and will only use them for the purpose of the research. Furthermore, they will be assured anonymity so that the users of the research cannot know who provided the information in the research outcomes (Madani, Althaqafi & Alraddadi 2014, p. 304). Another ethical consideration that will be observed is that the results of the research will be kept confidential and will not be disclosed to anyone who is not associated with the research except the researcher and analysts of the research and other stakeholders whose involvement is important in achieving the goals of the research. 7. Project Planning During the project, there are particular resources, financial obligations, milestones and timeline that will have to be determined in order to conduct the research in an efficient manner. The main resources that will facilitate the successful conducting of the research and their respective functions will include the following: Notebooks: this will assist the researcher in recording responses from the participants in the research Cameras: this will facilitate collection of visual information such as taking photographs of samples of personal protective equipment used in various hospitals. Audio devices: This will involve selection of recording instruments such as those that enable recording of audio responses from participants. Pens: these will be used during the process of recording responses in notebooks Data storage facilities: these are resources that will be used to keep the data safe so that the data can be accessed when there is the need for data analysis. The milestones that this project will have to accomplish include the following: Identification of the right respondents to answer the research questions Collecting responses related to the research questions Analysing the responses and creating a report Making recommendations for implementation by stakeholders Presenting the report to stakeholders In order to carry out an effective project of collecting data, analysing the data and compiling a report to be used to recommend a practice to stakeholders, there is the need to come up with a plan on all the activities will be carried out. During the project, the plan for activities and their respective timelines will be as follows: Activity Start Time End Time Formulation of research topic and questions 3/07/2015 5/07/2015 Seeking permissions from authorities in hospitals 8/07/2015 14/07/2015 Sending invitation letters to participants and collecting the responses to participate 15/07/2015 17/07/2015 Conducting a pilot study 18/07/2015 20/07/2015 Conducting Actual study that includes data collection 21/07/2015 27/07/2015 Using different methods to store the collected data 2/08/2015 3/08/2015 Data analysis using different data analysis tools 5/08/2015 8/08/2015 Compiling the report, making recommendations to stakeholders, printing and binding the report 9/08/2015 13/08/2015 Presenting the report to stakeholders 15/08/2015 Table 1. Timeline for the research The planning process will also involve establishing the number of staff who will be required in order to implement various activities during the project. Some of the staff that will be involved includes the following: clinicians, nurses and doctors (Svoboda, Henry, Shulman et al. 2004, p. 421). On the data collection team, the main participants’ will be data collectors, survey conductors, report analysers and data storage. The staff required in order to conduct the research effectively are summarised in the table below: Type of Staff Number required Respondents Side Clinicians 50 Doctors 20 Nurses 100 Total 170 Researcher’s team Data collectors 10 Survey Conductors 5 Report Analysers 3 Data Storage team and report compilers 2 Total 20 Table 2. Staff that will be involved in the research Furthermore, during the project, it will be necessary to determine the financial resources that will be necessary in the accomplishment of the activities in the project. The following budget estimates provides a guide on the financial demands and how finances will be used during the project. Activity/ resource Amount of Expenditure ($) Transport Costs 200 Purchasing Notebooks and other stationery 150 Hiring Cameras 100 Printing, binding and data storage Costs 180 Payments for research team 1000 Procurement of data analysis software 120 Total 1750 Table 3. Budget Estimates for the research Justification of feasibility of the project There is a high possibility that the project will be successful. This is because; it involves a research that will be conducted in hospital settings where the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) has been implemented in the effort to prevent the spread of corona disease (Tran et al. 2012, p. 73). In addition, it will involve a study that will be conducted in Saudi Arabia where corona disease is common. Consequently, the use of PPE is effectively implemented in most hospitals as a measure for protecting staff from corona disease. Consequently, the researcher will be able to get accurate responses regarding the use of PPE in protection of staff against corona disease infection (Bermingham et al. 2012, p. 93). Another factor that contributes to the feasibility of this project is that it is carried out in s short period of time of 1 month, thus the researcher will not be fatigued or lose interest due to long period of conducting a research. Furthermore, the research involves a small budget of only $ 1750 which is affordable to the research team. Finally, the research does not require complex data analysis tools and will be easy to analyse using simple data analysis techniques such as Ms Excel software and SPSS software. List of References Alagaili AN, Briese T, Mishra N, Kapoor V, Sameroff SC, Burbelo PD, de Wit E, Munster VJ, Hensley LE, Zalmout IS, Kapoor A, Epstein JH, Karesh WB, Daszak P, Mohammed OB, Lipkin WI. (2014). 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