Using Implementation Science Methods to Assess Impacts of Respiratory Hygiene and Safe Return to Work Protocols (STRW) in the COVID-19 Era
Principal Investigator: Donna Spiegelman, RGHI Innovation Grant Award Holder
COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation on 11 March 2020, and the global burden of infection with SARS-CoV-2 was high in terms of mortality, morbidity, burden on health systems, and adverse economic impacts.
COVID-19 impacted workplaces around the world, and most companies and institutions, including Yale, shifted to virtual work when possible. After virtual operations in March-May 2020, Yale implemented a phased return to work for its approximately 15,000 employees (over 10% of the population of The City of New Haven, Connecticut) between June 2020 and February 2021. Yale developed protocols to minimise the risk of virus exposure.
This research aimed to evaluate and improve the rollout of safe return to work protocols for Yale employees. The team employed a hybrid study design to evaluate the protocol’s implementation, feasibility, and effectiveness regarding COVID-19-related health outcomes, including antibody test results and days lost from work.
This was achieved through multi-disciplinary collaboration, combining environmental hygiene methodologies and machine learning approaches. Through a longitudinal study design, at least 6,000 Yale employees, many of whom were Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino, were followed for one year.
