Background: We aimed to detect the risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers (HCWs) in 2020 before the vaccination era. Methods: We surveyed SARS-CoV-2 infection among the HCWs in a hospital through screening for antibody levels and the detection of viral RNA by RT-PCR between May 2020 and December 2020. Occupational and non-occupational potential predictors of disease were surveyed for the HCWs included in this study. Results: Among 1925 personnel in the hospital, 1732 were included to the study with a response rate of 90%. The overall infection rate of HCWs was 16.3% at the end of 2020, before vaccinations started. In the multivariate analysis, being janitorial staff (OR: 2.24, CI: 1.21–4.14, p = 0.011), being a medical secretary (OR: 4.17, CI: 2.12–8.18, p < 0.001), having at least one household member with a COVID-19 diagnosis (OR: 8.98, CI: 6.64–12.15, p < 0.001), and number of household members > 3 (OR: 1.67, CI: 1.26–2.22, p < 0.001) were found to be significantly associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Conclusions: Medical secretaries and janitorial staff were under increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The community-hospital gradient can explain the mode of transmission for infection among HCWs. In the setting of this study, community measures were less strict, whereas hospital infection control was adequate and provided necessary personal protective equipment. Increasing risk in larger households and households with diagnosed COVID-19 patient indicates the community-acquired transmission of the infection.

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are accepted as one of the most important challenges in hospital settings. They cause extended lengths of stay -at the hospital, threatening patient safety, increasing the rate of morbidity and mortality, raising the workforce of healthcare workers and accelerating antimicrobial resistance. According to the World Health Organization (WHO),

This study aimed to describe the rate of Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) in hospitals in the last decade (2014-2023), Türkiye. The study was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statements. The keywords were “Türkiye”, “healthcare-associated infections” (HAIs), “surgical site infections” (SSIs), “central line-catheter-associated bloodstream infections” (CLABSIs), “catheter-associated urinary tract infections” (CAUTI) and “ventilator-associated pneumonia” (VAP). We included all original articles reflecting the HAI rate of all adult patients in hospitals in Türkiye for at least one year of duration between January 01, 2014 and December 31, 2023. In total, 1171 reports, including the keywords, were retrieved, and duplications were removed. After filtering according to the title and abstract, eight original articles were selected. The quality of four reports published in peer-reviewed journals was rated as high, and the four as moderate. The rate of invasive device-associated HAIs in intensive care units (ICUs) was 4.19 (CLABSI: 1.97, CAUTI: 1.94, VAP: 6.49) and 1.88 in inpatient wards. No article was published that reflected the overall surgical site infection rate of a hospital. We detected that in the last 10 years (2014-2023) in Türkiye, invasive device-associated HAI rates were 1.88% in inpatient wards and 4.19% in ICU. More comprehensive studies should be conducted on HAI rates, frequently detected HAI agents, and resistance rates. Health centers should prioritize the issue, and intervention and prevention studies should be priority research topics.

AIM: The study aims to determine the risk factors that affect coronavirus-2019 infection in Turkey. METHOD: This descriptive study was performed between October 18, 2020, and November 18, 2020. The online link of the form created on Google forms was sent to the participants’ phones. Totally 1104 individuals from different regions of Turkey participated. Logistic regression analysis was performed to detect risk factors of coronavirus-2019 infection. RESULTS: Most of the participants were women and university graduates. All participants except one wore masks, 96.8% paid attention to social distance, and 57.8% did not use public transportation. Of the participants, 9.8% (n = 108) were diagnosed with coronavirus-2019 and 41.5% (n = 458) had a coronavirus-2019-positive relative. The infection risk was higher for those who lived in the Marmara region, who went to work daily (odds ratio = 2.18; 95% CI: 1.18–4.04), who had a coronavirus-2019-positive patient where they lived (odds ratio = 3.44; 95% CI: 1.95–6.05), and who shared items with a coronavirus-2019-positive patient (odds ratio = 4.76; 95% CI: 2.64–8.58). CONCLUSION: Sharing items with a coronavirus-2019-positive patient, living in crowded regions, and going to work daily were the main risk factors of coronavirus-2019 infection in Turkish society. Cite this article as: Can, G., Genç, Z., Tekin, S., & Akyüz Özdemir, F. (2022). Evaluation of factors that affect COVID-19 infection in Turkish society. Florence Nightingale Journal of Nursing., 30(2), 117-125.