Question

What are the extraneous variables? What are the extraneous variables in PICOT question, In primary healthcare workers who take care of COVID 19 patients, how does the use of surgical mask compared to the respirator mask prevent COVID-type respiratory illnesses during the entire duration of rendering patient care? How can we control extraneous variables.

Answer 1

COVID 19 is the viral disease spread by droplet transmission. Health care system like nursing staff, doctors take care these patients. Extraneous variables are the confounding variables and are of two types like recognized or unrecognized. Recognized variables can be controlled where unrecognized is difficult to control.

Extraneous variable are the problems facing by the health care system includes individual differences, task, situation variables.

The primary healthcare workers are nursing staff, doctors, cleaners, community health care staff take care of COVID-19 patients.

The use of masks is one of the important step to prevent and can limit the spread or transmission of the droplets of fluids from COVID-19 positive patients. Universal masking is continuous and is practiced and carried by health care workers and wear masks before entering into the activities during caring of the patients.

Surgical masks are flat or pleated which are affixed to the head with straps that go around the ears or head or both. These masks balance high filtration, adequate breathability and fluid penetration resistance.

Extraneous variables are controlled by holding task (or) situation variables constant by conducting test all patients in the same location under identical instructions & conditions.

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