Issues in Psychiatric Hospitals that were Revealed Through COVID-19 Infection Countermeasures

Abstract

Introduction:

Infection countermeasures that consider patient characteristics are needed at psychiatric hospitals.

Method:

Based on the experience of implementing countermeasures against infection by COVID-19, which has become a pandemic disaster over the past few years. This report is on the current situation and issues of infection countermeasures in psychiatric hospitals.

Results:

Reasons for why it is difficult to take COVID-19 countermeasures in psychiatric hospitals included the following: for patient predispositions–it is difficult to promote understanding and practice of infection countermeasures such as proper wearing of masks, hand hygiene enforcement, zoning, etc. For environmental predispositions–it is difficult to ventilate because windows and doors cannot be opened, and it is difficult to isolate infected individuals as there are few private rooms. Countermeasures included the following: recreation should be limited to that which does not involve speaking and having everybody face the same direction, ensuring sufficient space between people during meals, installing ventilation equipment in hospital wards, handle care in private rooms until the hospitalized patient is judged to be not infectious, and conducting zoning and isolation on a hospital ward level. Results showed that although COVID-19 outbreaks occasionally occurred in hospital wards, this did not result in spread throughout the hospital.

Conclusion:

Future challenges include improving the quality of infection countermeasures in hospitals through thoroughly educating hospital personnel who are unaccustomed to taking infection countermeasures.