Abstract:
Background: The use of prophylactic antisepsis to protect against coronavirus disease
2019 (COVID-19) has been suggested. This study investigated hydrogen peroxide antisepsis
(HPA) at two hospitals in Ghana.
Methods: Cases of COVID-19 among healthcare workers (HCWs) using hydrogen peroxide
(HP-HCWs) or not using hydrogen peroxide (NHP-HCWs), vaccinated or unvaccinated, were
recorded at Shai-Osudoku Hospital (SODH), Dodowa, and Mount Olives Hospital (MOH),
Techiman, between May 2020 and December 2021. The effect of HPA in all inpatients at
MOH was also observed. Permutation tests were used to determine P values.
Findings: At SODH, there were 62 (13.5%) cases of COVID-19 among 458 NHP-HCWs but no
cases among eight HP-HCWs (P¼0.622) from May to December 2020. Between January and March 2021, 10 (2.7%) of 372 NHP-HCWs had COVID-19, but there were no cases among 94
HP-HCWs (P¼0.206). At MOH, prior to HPA, 17 (20.2%) of 84 HCWs and five (1.4%) of 370
inpatients had COVID-19 in July 2020. From August 2020 to March 2021, two of 54 (3.7%)
HCWs who stopped HPA had COVID-19; none of 32 NHP-HCWs contracted COVID-19. At
SODH, none of 23 unvaccinated HP-HCWs and 35 (64%) of 55 unvaccinated NHP-HCWs had
COVID-19 from April to December 2021 (P<0.0001). None of 34 vaccinated HP-HCWs and 53
(13.6%) of 390 vaccinated NHP-HCWs had COVID-19 (P¼0.015). No inpatients on prophylactic HPA (total 7736) contracted COVID-19.
Conclusion: Regular, daily HPA protects HCWs from COVID-19, and curtails nosocomial
spread of SARS-CoV-2.
