Identification the Individual Vulnerability to COVID-19

Abstract

Background: The present study aimed to improve the preparedness of work environments to identify vulnerable people using COVID-19 vulnerability assessment and analyzing hygiene behaviors according to WHO guidance against COVID-19. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted cross-sectionally in an industry in Kerman, Iran, in 2020. This study used COVID-19 vulnerability assessment to measure staff vulnerability to COVID-19 based on demographic information and underlying diseases. After that, hygiene behaviors, including using masks, maintaining social distancing, and washing hands (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.806), were evaluated as the WHO recommended. Regression tests were employed in SPSS 23 to analyze the data, and Excel 2016 was used to draw the graphs. Results: The results showed that approximately 39.76% of the staff had an average, high, and very high vulnerability to COVID-19, and 9.4% were infected. According to the univariate regression, the disease rate increased by increasing the vulnerability level (p = 0.001). The rate of the disease decreased with increasing the level of hygiene behaviors (p = 0.001). In addition, multivariate logistic regression showed a significant relationship between the Covid-19 disease and the vulnerability level and hygiene behaviors (P = 0.001). In fact, with a one-point increase in vulnerability and compliance with hygiene behaviors, the probability of being infected increases by 1.116 and 0.503 times. Conclusions: The results showed that vulnerability assessment could identify groups vulnerable to COVID-19 based on age and underlying disease and provide the necessary information regarding preventing and controlling strategies to improve work environment preparedness. It is suggested that everyone consider compliance with hygiene principles by WHO recommendations, including using respiratory protection, social distancing, and hand hygiene.