Strengthening patient safety through biosafety and infection prevention measures during COVID-19: a policy and practice review

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) placed substantial pressure on global healthcare systems, biosafety management, and the delivery of safe clinical services. As a critical component of infection prevention and control (IPC), biosafety contributes not only to limiting pathogen exposure but also to protecting healthcare workers, maintaining reliable diagnostic pathways, and supporting patient safety and health-service continuity. This Policy and Practice Review presents a structured narrative synthesis of a sample of literature published primarily between January 2020 and August 2026, supplemented by selected earlier foundational studies and relevant public-health guidance. The review focuses on respiratory exposure control, appropriate use and oversight of personal protective equipment (PPE), airway-management safety, emergency respirator decontamination and reuse strategies including ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI), specimen collection and transport, laboratory biosafety, and emerging diagnostic technologies. The evidence indicates that safe practice requires layered, risk-based measures adapted to the exposure context and specific clinical or laboratory activity. During severe PPE shortages, UVGI was investigated as a contingency strategy for respirator decontamination, but microbial inactivation, preservation of filtration performance, and maintenance of fit or seal integrity represent distinct outcomes and require separate validation. Safe specimen pathways similarly depend on validated collection, transport, storage, and laboratory procedures that preserve both worker safety and diagnostic reliability. Emerging CRISPR- and nanomaterial-enabled technologies may improve diagnostic accessibility or turnaround time, but their contribution to patient safety depends on clinical validation, quality assurance, regulatory oversight, and successful integration into healthcare workflows. Overall, lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic support a multilayered, activity-specific approach to biosafety that integrates occupational protection, diagnostic safety, patient safety, and health-system resilience.