Table 3.
Extent of exposure to MERS-confirmed patients among enrolled participants
| Characteristic | Total (n = 737) | MERS-referral hospital (n = 280) | MERS-affected hospital (n = 457) | p |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duration of contact with MERS patientsa | ||||
| ≤3 d | 284 (43.0%) | 13 (5.5%) | 271 (64.2%) | <0.001 |
| 4–7 d | 89 (13.5%) | 13 (5.5%) | 76 (18.0%) | |
| 8–14 d | 90 (13.6%) | 61 (25.6%) | 29 (6.9%) | |
| 15–30 d | 107 (16.2%) | 65 (27.3%) | 42 (10.0%) | |
| >31 d | 4 (0.9%) | 86 (36.1%) | 4 (0.9%) | |
| Mean duration of contact with MERS patients per day, hb | ||||
| ≤0.5 | 221 (33.5%) | 39 (14.4%) | 182 (46.7%) | <0.001 |
| 0.5–1 | 105 (15.9%) | 47 (17.4%) | 58 (14.9%) | |
| 1–2 | 86 (13.0%) | 53 (19.6%) | 33 (8.5%) | |
| 2–6 | 113 (17.1%) | 80 (29.6%) | 33 (8.5%) | |
| 6–12 | 121 (18.3%) | 44 (16.3%) | 77 (19.7%) | |
| >12 | 14 (2.1%) | 7 (2.6%) | 7 (1.8%) | |
| Hospitals in contact with case with superspreading eventc | 255 (34.6%) | 56 (20.0%) | 199 (43.5%) | <0.001 |
| Exposure without appropriate PPE | 294 (39.9%) | 53 (18.9%) | 241 (52.7%) | <0.001 |
| Exposure without PAPR during aerosol-generation procedured | 122 (16.6%) | 47 (16.8%) | 75 (16.4%) | 0.894 |
MERS, Middle East respiratory syndrome; PAPR, powered air-purifying respirator; PPE, personal protective equipment.
a
Data were missing for 42 and 35 participants in MERS-referral and MERS-affected hospitals, respectively.
b
Data were missing for 10 and 67 participants in MERS-referral and MERS-affected hospitals, respectively.
c
Case of superspreading event (confirmed MERS patient who infected more than five people).
d
Not all 737 participants were exposed to aerosol-generating procedures.