Postpandemic masking practices among health care personnel: beliefs, barriers, and opportunities for improving adherence in clinical settings

TL;DR

This study explores how healthcare workers use masks, their beliefs about protection, and how vaccination status affects their masking behavior in clinical settings.

Contribution

The study identifies suboptimal masking adherence among healthcare personnel and links it to perceived risk and vaccination status in the postpandemic period.

Findings

Self-reported masking rates were highest when participants were sick or symptomatic and lowest during respiratory specimen collection.

Healthcare workers who were up to date on their vaccinations showed higher adherence to masking practices.

Perceived low risk of infection and inconsistent adherence to masking suggest a need for targeted interventions.

Abstract

This study examines gaps in mask-related behaviors, beliefs, and perceptions among healthcare personnel (HCP), investigates the influence of vaccination status on masking practices, and identifies opportunities to enhance adherence in clinical settings.

A survey was conducted among HCP providing direct patient care at State University of New York Upstate Medical University from November 2024 to January 2025.

A total of 655 HCP responded to the survey. Of these, 335 (51.1%) reported being up to date on coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination, and 501 (76.5%) intended to receive the 2024 – 2025 influenza vaccine. Majority believed masking protects them (n = 381, 61%) and others (n = 400, 64.6%), perceived the workplace as carrying a high respiratory risk (n = 366, 58.6%), and believed patient masking offers protective benefits (n = 359, 57.4%). Self-reported masking rates were highest when participants were sick or symptomatic (n = 477, 72.8%) and lowest during respiratory specimen collection (n = 233, 35.6%). High adherence was observed when participants were symptomatic, among those who were up to date on their COVID-19 vaccination (n = 276, 82.4%) and who intended to receive the 2024 – 2025 influenza vaccine (n = 407, 81.2%).

These findings suggest self-reported masking adherence remains suboptimal, reflecting low perceived risk of COVID-19 infection in the postpandemic period. Targeted interventions highlighting masking as an important component of broader measures including vaccination, hand hygiene, and ventilation are needed to enhance hospital infection prevention and control.

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