Infection prevention measures and its determinants in childcare facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic: A nationwide survey (2022-2023).

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presented an unprecedented challenge to societies, necessitating adaptations in infection prevention measures. While there is ample data on infection prevention practices in workplace and healthcare settings, comprehensive data specific to childcare facilities has been lacking. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide web-based survey capturing responses from various childcare facilities (N = 549). This aimed to understand the adaptation in infection prevention measures between fiscal years 2022 and 2023, the status of events and activities, and the factors influencing decision-making related to infection prevention. RESULTS: From 2022 to 2023, most childcare facilities reduced infection prevention practices like mandatory mask-wearing (46.9 %-7.5 %) and eating without conversing (56.5 %-7.4 %), whereas they continued high levels of hand sanitization and checking child's health condition before attendance. The frequency of events and activities (e.g., athletic meets, field trips) increased, with many being held without restrictions. Surprisingly, 62.8 % of facilities used items not recommended for infection prevention. The influence of local government guidelines (risk ratio, 0.69; 95%CI, 0.53-0.90) and the input from junior teachers (risk ratio, 0.85; 95%CI, 0.72-0.99) were associated with reduced risk of using inappropriate items. Furthermore, childcare facilities emphasized the need to collaborate with public health and medical professionals for more accurate and efficient decision-making during pandemics. CONCLUSIONS: The survey provides insights into the evolving practices of Japanese childcare facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. It underscores the importance of refining information sources, enhancing decision-making processes, and fostering collaboration with the medical community for future pandemics and natural disasters.