Table 1. Structural characteristics of and infection prevention measures adopted in hemodialysis facilities of the state of São Paulo during the COVID-19 pandemic and bivariate analysis of variables associated with the occurrence of COVID-19 clusters (March to July 2020).
| Variable | Total number of hemodialysis facilities N:121 | Occurrence of clusters* N:108 | p | Odds ratio (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes n=61 (%) | No n=47(%) | ||||
| Administration | 0.72 | ||||
| Private for profit | 80 (66) | 9 (50) | 9 (50) | ||
| Private non-profit | 22 (18) | 41 (57) | 31 (43) | ||
| Public | 19 (16) | 11 (61) | 7 (39) | ||
| Located within a hospital | 61 (50) | 26 (49) | 27 (51) | 1.81 (0.84-3.92) | 0.13 |
| Infection prevention measures | |||||
| Has an area allotted for patients with suspected/confirmed COVID-19 | 107 (88) | 56 (58) | 40 (42) | 0.51 (0.15-1.72) | 0.43 |
| Has a shift allotted for patients with suspected/confirmed COVID-19 | 102 (84) | 50 (56) | 39 (44) | 1.07 (0.39-2.92) | 0.89 |
| Screens every patient entering the facility for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 | 110 (91) | 57 (58) | 41 (42) | 0.48 (0.13-1.80) | 0.33 |
| Screens every HCW entering the facility for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 | 78 (64) | 38 (53) | 34 (47) | 1.58 (0.70-3.60) | 0.27 |
| Opens windows in the patient care area | 82 (68) | 41 (56) | 32 (44) | 1.04 (0.46-2.35) | 0.92 |
| Keeps air conditioning on | 80 (66) | 41 (56) | 32 (44) | 1.04 (0.46-2.35) | 0.92 |
| Performs hand hygiene audits | 104 (86) | 52 (56) | 41 (44) | 1.18 (0.34-4.38) | 0.77 |
| Precautions used to avoid COVID-19 transmission | |||||
| Contact and droplets/aerosols | 108 (88) | 57 (58) | 39 (42) | 2.92 (0.82-10.38) | 0.12 |
| Droplets and aerosols | 9 (8) | ||||
| Contact | 2 (2) | ||||
| Standard precautions | 2 (2) | ||||
| Type of mask used by administrative HCW | |||||
| Surgical mask | 114 (94) | 58 (57) | 44 (43) | 0.76 (0.10-5.96) | 0.74 |
| Cloth mask | 7 (6) | ||||
| Provides masks to patients with COVID-19 | 117 (97) | 60 (58) | 44 (42) | 0.24 (0.02-2.42) | 0.32 |
| Provides masks to all patients | 100 (83) | 51 (57) | 38 (43) | 0.83 (0.31-2.24) | 0.71 |
| Performs aerosol-generating procedures in the patient area | 31 | 25 (81) | 6 (19) | 4.74 (1.75-12.86) | 0.001 |
| Collection of diagnostic respiratory specimens | 15 (13) | ||||
| Intubation | 11 (9) | ||||
| Oxygen therapy/inhalation | 5 (4) | ||||
| Reported the occurrence of a COVID-19 cluster | 9 (7) | 53 (54) | 46 (46) | 0.15 (0.003-1.16) | 0.07 |
*
108 facilities that sent all data regarding the presence of COVID-19 cases and implemented measures. HCW, healthcare workers.