Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States and the world, one year has passed. Many people just want to forget about 2020 completely. From panic over toilet paper supply to social restrictions, and even unemployment, we seem to have little to remember in the past 12 months. Although our world has changed a lot, some positive things have also appeared, and there are many lessons to help us move into the future.
Of course, lessons have been learned in the field of laboratory safety. Many organizations are beginning to reprocess personal protective equipment (PPE) so that it can be safely reused. The shortage of supply helped us achieve things we had never considered before. For example, some disposable lab coats can be washed up to five times. The N95 respirator operates safely after its manufacturer's expiration date.
An important lesson learned last year is how important it is to educate laboratory staff and the public on safety and standard precautions. The public has realized how much the unsafe behavior of the people around them affects their safety. People who refuse to wear a mask or who are sick and do not self-quarantine may cause the virus to spread to others. In the past year, many people have realized this and felt able to say something to those who did not demonstrate safe behavior. Realizing that they may be in danger makes people feel comfortable speaking for their safety and the safety of others around them. Perhaps this is also required by the laboratory workplace environment.
One of the earliest challenges faced by many laboratory leaders in the past year was dealing with staff fears of having to work with COVID-19 patients or specimens. With the number of deaths reported daily in the news and unscientific data (such as the death rate when the total number of cases cannot be determined), the fear of some people becomes obvious at work. The staff became afraid of collecting or processing any specimens, and people began to adopt unnecessary practices, such as double-bag swab specimens or wearing gloves when transporting samples. Some laboratory employees refuse to perform COVID-19 testing, while other employees who have direct contact with patients will not cooperate with patients.
Teaching employees to deal with these fears and continue to complete their work quickly became a priority for many people. Many leaders held meetings and educational meetings. It is important to remind staff that they usually process specimens containing bacteria and other viruses every day, which may be harmful to them (if not more). They must remember that if they continue to take standard precautions, they can stay safe in the workplace. In some places, use the COVID-19 FAQ briefing to resolve hot issues and answer common questions about PPE, high contact surfaces, and aerosol generation procedures. This is a great learning experience-employees always need regular information on how to properly handle the hazards of their work, and knowledge on how to stay safe at work.
One year later, the fear of laboratory staff seemed to have diminished. Appropriate procedures are in place, and adequate protective measures have been implemented. The shortage of PPE supply does not help progress, but lessons have even been learned in this area. Due to the shortage of international supplies, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided information on extended use and reuse of PPE equipment. Organizations shifted from using disposable lab coats and gowns to reusable ones. Hospitals must develop methods to reprocess and disinfect protective clothing and N95 respirators so that they can be reused with ultraviolet lamps or hydrogen peroxide vapor. Although the PPE supply problem seems to have subsided, the laboratory has learned many lessons in how to deal with such shortages in the future.
There are other lessons about laboratory testing. As the pandemic progresses, many healthcare organizations and laboratories are required to quickly conduct new COVID-19 tests. In some cases, new laboratory space must be found for the storage of analyzers and supplies. Many considerations must be discussed, such as room ventilation, safety equipment (biological safety cabinets, eyewash stations, overflow kits, etc.), and proper specimen transportation.
A year ago, professionals knew the doctrine of using risk assessment, but the many changes that the pandemic has brought to the workplace did emphasize the need for such assessments. The process of identifying risks associated with new tests, rating the likelihood and consequences of potential hazards in the process, and then implementing steps to mitigate these hazards is more common today than it was a year ago. As the work of the testing department continues, performing these assessments and reviewing them on a regular basis will help ensure the safety of employees.
The pandemic has also given the public an understanding of their views on safety. A year ago, if you looked around, how many hand disinfection stations were there at gas stations? They are commonplace now. Of course, the frequency of hand washing has increased, and there have been some differences in wearing masks and maintaining social distancing. In the season when many people get sick or hospitalized due to the flu every year, the number of flu cases need not be mentioned too much. People who have been following guidelines to protect themselves from COVID-19 can also help limit the spread of flu and other infectious diseases. It will be interesting to see what other courses will be taken. Are high-contact surfaces such as air pumps, vending machines, door handles, and elevator buttons always dangerous to the spread of pathogens? Even after the COVID-19 pandemic, will we continue to use safer practices? Will the salad bar (which has always been considered a hot spot for infectious pathogens) even make a comeback? People will gather in movie theaters and concert halls again-don't you wear masks? It will be interesting to see where human behavior will go when this pandemic ends.
Many COVID-19 vaccines are being made available to the public, and while it may seem slow to some people, the reality is that these vaccines are being released very quickly. The use of the FDA's Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) makes it possible to issue multiple COVID-19 tests and vaccinations. In the past year, we have also learned some lessons about using the rapid implementation process. Some laboratory tests have low sensitivity and may give false negative results. The vaccine was released before its full efficacy was confirmed. However, if the EUA is not used, the standard time frame for the release of new tests or drugs will be very slow. In the past year, when speed is of the essence, we have been able to do a lot to detect and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
It is not clear (at the time of writing) whether the COVID-19 vaccine can completely prevent people from spreading the disease. However, it is well known that vaccines are very effective in preventing the recipient from getting sick or requiring hospitalization. Medical experts believe that this knowledge is enough to move forward. I don’t know whether the use of vaccines will help us open theaters or remove masks. This may disappoint some people, but due to the rapid implementation, it takes more time to make these decisions. Like many other vaccinations, we are likely to learn that these vaccines can completely prevent the spread of disease. They may provide complete and lasting immunity, but only time will tell. The COVID-19 pandemic has also changed our view of this, and perhaps we have become more patient as a result.
2020 has passed, and we have many reasons to hope so. However, although we want to get rid of the bad times we have experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to remember the positive lessons we have discovered. Remember the importance of good safety practices, strategic material procurement and reuse techniques, and the use of risk assessment to mitigate hazards. Pushing these concepts forward will enable us to better respond to the next imminent crisis, while putting safety first.
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