Why are there so many large outbreaks among NHS staff?

[HomerRoberts]

...despite mask wearing?

In my local hospital it seems to be that high numbers of staff are simultaneously being infected despite mask wearing and distancing being in place.
Masks need to be worn at all times apart from lunch breaks, when staff still need to ensure social distancing.
I know that masks aren’t 100% effective at preventing spread but even accounting for that I’m still surprised at the high level of infection, so I wonder what’s going on here?
Shoddy masks?
Masks give even less protection than we thought?
Poor ventilation?
Or are the break times the weak point that create the opportunity for spread?

There was a thread recently on here that did a good job of dispelling myths around PPE in the NHS, its worth a look.

We wear the same mask that people wear to go shopping in, even with covid positive patients coughing over us. I recently contracted the virus in work and quickly received an email from management reminding us of the importance of wearing masks at all times to prevent disruption to services. I cried when I read it, I just cannot believe that I have worked flat out (whilst management WFH) to now be blamed for being sick. I have been as careful as it is possible to be, to the detriment of my family as we weren't going out really even between lockdowns.

To those blaming NHS staff, why would we take risks when we have daily reminders as to how dangerous this thing is?

And inadequate infection control at a hospital (not individual) level as mentioned by PP.

Every year some hospitals spend the winter with a rotation of wards continually closed to visitors, new admissions etc. due to norovirus. Other hospitals very rarely have this. That is because some hospitals have better infection control. They will clean a ward post-norovirus outbreak much better (hydrogen peroxide diffusers etc) and immediately contain the outbreak. The first type of hospital that always has noro outbreaks will most likely have poor infection control with inadequate equipment and resources and so coronavirus will also be spreading more in those hospitals.

But of course infection control costs money, which the government won't spend (and the taxpayer who votes for them is reluctant to pay in tax in the case of a conservative party voter).

I have also found that some nurses have poor hygiene practices. I had to take DS to a hospital clinic recently. They were very hot on us sanitising hands regularly and wearing masks (as they should) but the nurse put on gloves, then handled a delivery from a delivery driver, then touched the door handles, then went to touch my DS with those same gloves on. She was extremely annoyed when I asked her to put on a new pair of gloves or use sanitiser on them. Gave me a bad attitude the whole time we were there after that.

And I asked her very politely/shyly...

A lot of research was done on mask wearing in dentistry. We have been wearing masks and visors for years but have always been aware that after a few minutes the masks become saturated and all sorts of bacteria and viruses can make their way through and up your nose. So we started wearing visors.
The mask really only protects you from halitosis and garlic breath, the visor just stops the big splashes of saliva and blood. Aerosols surround you and get round the side of the mask and visor. So now we use FFP3 which give 99.8% protection, however you only need that 0.2% to get through and your infected.
The main problem is mask hygiene, everyone was told to wear a mask but not HOW to wear a mask. Very few people wore masks in hospitals prior to Covid and unless properly trained and policed they probably increase the spread.
Nearly every patient I see slides their mask onto their chin when asked to remove it. I have to remind them that we classify it as infected material and if our gloves come into contact with it we can then transfer large numbers of pathogens into their mouths.
I also see people wearing gloves as PPE only to continuously touch their mouths and noses having touched numerous surface which are potentially contaminated.
Once the gloves and mask are on do not touch your face or mask. If you do remove both and dispose.
I was trained in theatre protocol in the days when theatre sisters would physically and verbally reprimand you if you came anywhere near the sterile area. And if you were scrubbed in and touched any part of your body that was not classified as sterile you had to scrub in again. You only ever made that mistake once. Theatre sisters were probably the most valuable members of the team and definitely were blessed with eyes in the back of their heads.

Viral load.

I work in a hospital. Hardly anyone is off “with” Covid but many have been off as contacts or due to someone is household being tested etc, same as everyone else. We are in an area with high cases and I am amazed by how few of my colleagues have been off with symptoms never mind testing positive.

I don’t and never have worked in healthcare. But it doesn’t take a genius to work our that health staff would be more likely that jane bloggs to catch it. Especially as most nhs staff are still in the workplace, while many others aren’t.