Safety Consciousness of Healthcare Professionals before and During COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally transformed safety consciousness among healthcare
professionals worldwide. This comprehensive review examines the evolution of safety awareness,
infection control practices, personal protective equipment (PPE) usage, and occupational health
measures before and during the pandemic. Evidence from 94 peer-reviewed studies reveals that
while baseline safety consciousness showed significant gaps in the pre-pandemic era, COVID-19
catalyzed measurable improvements in PPE compliance (94.2% reported increased use), hand
hygiene adherence (94.6% improvement), and infection prevention awareness. However, these
gains were uneven across settings and professional roles, with persistent challenges including PPE
shortages (N95 availability as low as 28.5% in some regions), incomplete training coverage
(~80% lacked pandemic-specific IPC training), psychological burden (18.6% screened positive
for PTSD), and differential infection risks among non-clinical staff (security guards 88.9% PCR
positivity). This review synthesizes quantitative and qualitative evidence on safety practices,
identifies successful interventions combining surveillance, training, and psychological support,
and provides evidence-based recommendations for sustaining improved safety consciousness in
the post-pandemic healthcare environment.