Availability of personal protective equipment among healthcare workers in Jordan during the COVID-19 pandemic: A web based survey

Aim of the study: The inception of the COVID-19 has put healthcare workers (HCWs) in a precarious situation across the world. Despite the challenges in Jordan, the high awareness and preparedness of HCWs made it feasible for the country to control the contagious virus. COVID-19 has created a critical situation in the health sector for many countries in the world. Healthcare workers (HCWs) include physicians, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory technicians etc.; have provided the front-line healthcare services facing challenges. The study aimed to provide a useful insight into availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) among HCWs in Jordan, which could help the policy/decision makers of public health to design better programs based on the information reported. Method: This cross-sectional online survey was conducted during July 2020 for the evaluation of the availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) among HCWs in Jordan. Result: A total of 751 HCWs responded from different parts of the country, who were actively working at different hospitals in Jordan. Most of the participants (94%) had sufficient knowledge about COVID-19, and more than two-thirds of participants (68%) reported that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) were provided by Jordan ministry of health. The majority (91%) of participants reported availability of medical face masks, while only 26% reported having facial protective shields. Conclusion: The study highlighted sufficient availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) which could prevent exposure of the front-line health workers from the high dose of virus as well as the best management of Jordanian HCWs during COVID-19 pandemic. It is obvious that availability and proper donning and doffing of the PPE is important for the safety of the HCWs specifically in the pandemic settings. Keywords: Jordan, COVID-19, healthcare workers, personal protective equipment