Comprehensive Measures for Prevention and Control of COVID-19 Outbreak in Factories in Thailand
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: The coronavirus 2019 pandemic has impacted health and the economy in Thailand, especially in factories, during 2021-2022. Suitable measures for use in the factories with no high investment or stopping of manufacturing process operations were required.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop and provide comprehensive measures for implementation in factories to prevent and control the COVID-19 outbreak in Thailand with no high investment or stopping of manufacturing process operations.
METHODS: An action research study was undertaken using four steps as follows: 1) Review measures and COVID-19 situation analysis; 2) design and development of measures; 3) implementation of measures; and 4) monitoring and evaluation concerning the application of the new measures. This research was conducted from May 2021 to December 2022, which proceeded with a short field study in purposive sampling voluntary factories in Bangkok (19 factories) and Tak Province (2 factories), pilot integration in Ayutthaya Province, and then implementation in factories in Thailand.
RESULTS: The ″Measures of Bubble and Seal for Factories (MBBSF)" include comprehensive measures for factories, which apply the epidemiological principles of early detection, early control, and consideration for balancing economic recovery. The measures consist of two programs comprising 1) a prevention program for the factories that are COVID-19-free, and 2) a control program for the factories experiencing COVID-19 based on three levels of COVID-19 outbreak, including 1) low-level control (COVID-19 prevalence < 10 per cent); 2) moderate-level control (COVID-19 prevalence ≥ 10 per cent); and 3) high-level control (at least two out of three criteria, i.e., the COVID-19 prevalence > 10 per cent, cases among more than 100 workers, and factories continually found cases in 14 days out of 28 days). After implementing and evaluating the MBBSF at factories, it was found that factories could adapt the MBBSF to their factory contexts for the prevention and control of COVID-19 outbreaks.
CONCLUSION: The MBBSF can prevent and control COVID-19 outbreaks without the need to stop manufacturing process operations. These measures may be applicable to emerging infections for workers’ occupational health. Lessons learned, and a value-based evaluation should be conducted in future studies.
Thaiclinicaltrials.org number, TCTR20260110001
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