KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES ABOUT THE USEGE OF SELF-PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT OF HEALTHCARE WORKER IN 13 PRIMARY HEALTHCARE CENTERS KOTA CIMAHI ON THE ERA OF COVID-19
Anastasia Yani Triningtyas, Lutfhi Nurlaela, Henny Juliastuti, Astri Pradini

Medical Faculty, Universitas Jenderal Chmad Yani

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has a profound impact on various areas of life, especially in the health sector. Changes in services and an increase in morbidity and mortality due to COVID 19 are very striking. COVID 19 is very contagious from person to person. Protection is very important in dealing with these patients. The boom in this case, of course, creates problems, especially the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) for health workers who are very minimal. In addition to the minimum number, how to use and wear PPE correctly also greatly affects the transmission rate of COVID-19.
This research is a quantitative descriptive study which aims to deteprmine the knowledge and attitudes about the use of PPE on health workers at the in the primary heathcare centers Cimahi City area. Respondents in this study were 72 health workers who were directly tasked with handling COVID-19 at 13 puskesmas in Cimahi city, both in contact tracing, taking swab samples, and handling COVID-19 patients who came to the puskesmas.
The results of the research on knowledge of health workers about PPE showed that most of the respondents had a fairly good knowledge (75%) and a fairly good attitude (63%). The knowledge is still poorly understood by respondents, especially the use of PPE during face-to-face contact tracing, indications for the use of PPE, procedures for using PPE level 3, PPE in examining patients with ARI. Attitudes that still need to be improved are the importance of implementing health protocols during work breaks, using shoe covers, and the used of masks under the chin, and prioritizing the use of appropriate PPE compared to convenience.
Knowledge and attitudes are predisposing factors that encourage or inhibit the behavior of health workers in using PPE. Knowledge and good attitudes affect the correct use of PPE and are expected to provide optimal protection for health workers.

Keywords: attitude, knowledge, personal protective equipment

Topic: Public Health