Hospital Staff Handwashing Efforts Decline Despite the Pandemic

Following an increase in handwashing compliance brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, hand hygiene compliance for health care workers and cleaning staff recently dropped back to 51.5%—pre-pandemic levels according to a study published this week in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, CNN reports.

Prior to the pandemic, the University of Chicago Medical Center began electronically tracking the use of soap and sanitizer using an automated hand hygiene monitoring system. Researchers examined compliance at room entries, exits, hallways and inpatient admissions from September 2019 through August 2020. They found the compliance rate was 100% in March 2020 at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. But four months later the daily compliance rate dropped to 51.5%

Dr. Emily Landon, executive medical director of infection prevention and control for University of Chicago Medicine and co-author of study told CNN, “Hand hygiene is a habit. It’s like wearing your seatbelt or eating healthy or exercising regularly; it’s something you have to get used to doing.”

She added that hospitals usually report about 30% compliance so “51.5% is actually quite good.”

The relapse in heath care hand hygiene is similar to one observed among the general public. A survey released in March by Bradley Corp. found 57% of Americans were washing their hands six or more times a day—compared to 78% last year.  

Health officials encourage facilities to find ways to encourage people not to let up on handwashing in preparation for World Hand Hygiene Day which is coming up on May 5.