Impact of a Respiratory Aerosol Containment Device on Posture Ergonomics and Perceived Workload During Intubation

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the development of systems like the Utah COntainment Ventilation for Exposure Reduction (U-COVER) to limit infectious aerosol spread. This study evaluates the impact of the U-COVER on ergonomics, response time, and perceived workload during simulated intubation through analysis of body posture and kinematics (RULA, Statistical Parametric Mapping) and workload assessment (NASA Task Load Index). While small differences in posture, perceived workload and intubation time were observed, they are unlikely to be clinically meaningful, supporting the feasibility of using the proposed ventilation system without substantial ergonomic or task-time drawbacks in healthcare settings.