Zungu, Muzimkhulu
Voyi, Kuku
Mlangeni, Nosimilo
Moodley, Saiendhra Vasudevan
Ramodike, Jonathan
Claassen, Nico
Wilcox, Elizabeth
Thunzi, Nkululeko
Yassi, Annalee
Spiegel, Jerry
Malotle, Molebogeng
Article History
Received: 24 May 2021
Accepted: 21 September 2021
First Online: 11 October 2021
Declarations
:
: This study was one component of the research project ‘A rapid appraisal of the COVID-19 OHS response by four provinces in South Africa’. The methods for the study were approved by the Faculty of Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee, University of Pretoria, South Africa (Ethics Reference Number: 246/2020). Formal written informed consent was not sought from participants in this component of the research project as indicated in the methods submitted and approved by the Faculty of Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee, University of Pretoria, South Africa (Ethics Reference Number: 246/2020). As the data collected were part of the preparation of the COVID-19 response in the respective PDoHs, it was originally primarily collected for operational use, as part of the operational oversight responsibilities of some of the members of the research team. The health workers who participated were doing so as an extension of their normal work; they were briefed about the objectives of the project and verbal individual informed consent was obtained for data collection, ensuring participants that confidentiality would be maintained and only aggregated and anonymized results would be shared.Although the work was originally intended for operational research, the researchers later recognized the potential here to inform world knowledge and therefore sought and obtained permission from the PDoHs to publish the results of the operational data anonymously, in keeping with the undertakings to participants. All protocols were carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations of the South African Department of Health as agreed with the respective PDoHs [CitationRef removed].
: Not applicable.
: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.