{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,3]],"date-time":"2026-06-03T19:07:33Z","timestamp":1780513653292,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,31]],"date-time":"2026-05-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1780185600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Healthcare workers (HCWs) face occupational hazards that increase their risk of Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19). This study aims to evaluate HCWs\u2019 perceptions of the effectiveness of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in preventing COVID-19 infection and to identify risk factors associated with HCW infection. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used, with a structured, self-administered, closed-ended questionnaire to collect retrospective data for the period 2020 to 2022 at a tertiary hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa. Results: PPE was effective in reducing COVID-19 infection, according to 230 (57.07%) participants, while 173 (42.93%) disagreed. A significant association (p = 0.034) with a small effect size (Cramer\u2019s V = 0.161) was found between the number of HCWs infected with COVID-19 and their perceptions of PPE\u2019s effectiveness. White HCWs were more likely to perceive PPE as effective than Black HCWs (AOR = 3.82, p = 0.046). Support and clerical staff reported higher perceived effectiveness of PPE (AOR = 2.98, p = 0.040). Conclusions: HCWs encountered COVID-19 infections and various challenges that necessitate interventions and policies to safeguard them in hospital settings and ensure prompt virus management, including ensuring sufficient PPE supplies. The perceptions of PPE effectiveness among HCWs are shaped by an interplay of institutional practices, personal beliefs, and structural factors. These perceptions are closely tied to essential elements such as training, reliable PPE availability, and regular hand hygiene practices, underscoring the need to address both systemic and behavioral dimensions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph23060737","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,3]],"date-time":"2026-06-03T18:08:07Z","timestamp":1780510087000},"page":"737","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Healthcare Workers\u2019 Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Personal Protective Equipment in Reducing the Risk of COVID-19 Infection from 2020 to 2022"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"23","author":[{"given":"Ndabereye Aubin","family":"Ndizeye","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Makhutsisa Charlotte","family":"Mokoatle","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,31]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e003097","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjgh-2020-003097","article-title":"Infection and mortality of healthcare workers worldwide from COVID-19: A systematic review","volume":"5","author":"Bandyopadhyay","year":"2020","journal-title":"BMJ Glob. 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