ABSTRACT
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on Health Care Workers (HCWs) as they played an essential role in the management of the pandemic. The Italian Workers’ Compensation Authority (INAIL) and the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS) developed a retrospective study to analyse COVID-19 cases among HCWs during the first wave. The aim of this study is to understand trends and characteristics of infections among HCWs. Materials and Methods: Data were collected retrospectively and anonymously from administrative source of Regions between May-September 2020, referring to HCWs infected from the beginning of the pandemic until 30 April 2020. We used a questionnaire asking socio-demographic and occupational information and characteristics of contagion and disease outcome. Results: We received 15,926 valid questionnaires, 63.7% from Lombardy. The mean age is 49 years;67.4% are women. 47.9% are nurses, 20.5% doctors and 19.7% health and social care professionals. 78.0% work in hospital setting, 13.3% in local setting, 8.7% in other fields. Regarding hospital setting, the medical area counts 21.2% of cases, followed by 15.6% in the departments converted to COVID-19 care and 10.2% in surgical area. 22.8% of HCWs were hospitalized, 1.2% were hospitalized in intensive care and 0.4% died. Conclusions: This study highlights the main reasons of the overload put on the national health system by the first wave of the pandemic. Improved knowledge, availability of PPE and a tight vaccination campaign for HCWs strongly changed the trend of infections among health workers, with substantial elimination of serious and fatal cases.
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Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has spread worldwide, with considerable impacts on both health and safety of workers. COVID-19 emergency highlighted the importance of risk perception surveys and the availability of data on OSH issues. Since 2014, INAIL (Italian Workers’ Compensation Authority) conducted two editions of the periodic survey on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH), involving the main OSH actors. Materials and Methods: The 2nd wave of the survey, conducted in 2019 and addressed to representative workers and employers’ samples, provided an important contribution to support the decision-making process of the Italian Government for action-oriented policy in order to determine priority and interventions on the COVID-19 emergency. A secondary analysis of data collected through the survey was useful for the drafting of the technical documents developed to support the release phase of the containment measures after the first lockdown (March-April 2020) for progressive reopening of work activities that had been suspended by regulatory restrictions. Results: Data referred to workers perception on biological risk, commuting, eating habits during working time and health surveillance by occupational physicians were considered. These data were analyzed according to economic sector and geographical areas based on the level of COVID-19 contagion. Conclusions: The epidemiological trend highlighted the importance of work as a substantial factor to consider both when implementing strategies aimed at containing the pandemic and shaping the lockdown mitigation strategy required for sustained economic recovery.
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Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has created an extraordinary challenge to public health and the world of work. Based on its role in the occupational safety and health (OSH) field, the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) developed a survey aimed to collect information on public health policies, prevention measures, and other policies put in place by the governments of the countries in the world to contain the pandemic. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted through an online questionnaire asking information on COVID-19 data, public health policies and prevention measures, support measures for economy, work, and education, Personal Protective Equipment, Intensive Care Units, contact tracing, return to work, ICOH against COVID-19. The questionnaire was administered to more than 110 ICOH National Secretaries and other senior OSH experts. Collected data refer to the period ranging from the beginning of the pandemic in each country to 30 June 2020. Results: We received 73 valid questionnaires from 73 countries (response rate: 64.6%). Most of the respondents (71.2%) reported that the state of emergency was declared in their country, and 86.1% reported lockdown measures. Most of the respondents (66.7%) affirmed that the use of face masks was compulsory in their country. As for containment measures, 97.2% indicated that mass gatherings (meetings) were limited. Regarding workplace closing, the most affected sector was entertainment (90.1%). Conclusions: The results of this survey are useful to gain a global view on COVID-19 policy responses at country level.
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Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic affected health and safety of workers worldwide showing several types of working conditions at risk of infection. A methodology to assess the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the workplace, has been developed in Italy and adopted by the Government authorities to guide the National prevention strategies. Material and Methods: A model that includes the analysis of proximity between employees and potential exposure while they work, has been integrated with social aggregation, a specific factor connected to the job due to the involvement of third parties in work processes. The comparative analysis between risk levels and insurance claims for occupational injuries by sector, supported the model validation. The estimated risk class and the incidence of compensation claims were used also as quantitative indicators to prioritize the vaccination campaign in workplaces. Results: According to the NACE classification, the activity sectors have been classified into four levels of risk (high, medium-high, medium-low, low). By June 2021, the economic sectors at high or medium-high risk of COVID-19 infection (i.e. ‘Human health and social work activities’ and ‘Public administration’) included 75% of applications with occupational origin. Conclusions: This methodological approach guided the modular reopening of work activities for a safe reactivation of businesses. The prioritization of the workplace vaccination strategy taking into account the risk by different productive sectors, may contribute to the fastest achievement of the whole population immunity as progressive “exit strategy” from Covid-19 pandemic.
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Introduction: The measures taken to combat the pandemic, such as travel restrictions, closed borders and gathering bans, led to cancellations of many conferences, meetings and workshops, forcing the scientific community to identify new ways of disseminating scientific knowledge. This resulted in the transition from traditional face-to-face meetings, where practitioners and academics meet to exchange knowledge, network and develop collaborations, to the development of new events in digital formats. This study aimed at investigating the impact of the spreading of virtual conferences on the field of research. Materials and Methods: We made a SWOT analysis to evaluate strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of this new way of organizing scientific conferences, as compared to face-to-face conferences in terms of effectiveness of result dissemination, networking opportunities, and policy development. Results: Among the biggest opportunities of virtual conferences, revealed by the SWOT analysis, there are larger accessibility, equity (in terms of sex, ethnicity, geographical setting, physical ability, health, and career stage) reduced expenses, environmental sustainability and a better work-life balance. On the contrary, reduction in network building and in research capacity/cooperation, lower interest of local stakeholders and “digital exclusion” represent the most important threats. Conclusions: Organizing a virtual conference does not mean concentrating only on the offline or the online side of the event, but rather to integrate the two sides in order to offer the participants the opportunity to choose how to parti
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Introduction: Italy was the first among western countries to face the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. The progressive adoption of several containing measures by the Government during the first lockdown period from March 2020, encompassed the temporary suspension of non-essential business activities, resulting in a reduction of about 75% of workers present in their workplaces (including remote workers). Materials and Methods: INAIL developed a methodology for assessing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the workplace to support the Government for a safe reactivation of businesses evaluating the impact of the modular reopening of work activities after the first lockdown period. The average risk classes have been associated to the number of employees by sector to take into account the potential impact on the mobility due to the commuting. Results: Specific protocols for reopening activities have been developed for many sectors;these included administrative, preventive and protective measures to manage the risk in the workplace and mitigate the impacts for the community at large. Practical recommendations were allowed for public transport, manufacturing, meat processing and cutting plants, construction, schools, shopping malls and retail shops, catering services, seaside facilities and personal care services. Conclusions: The proposed methodological framework has been adopted by the Italian Government to guide the prevention strategies and address the prioritization of the vaccination campaign in workplaces, with the final aim to contribute to the fastest achievement of the whole population immunity from Covid-19.
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Introduction: The ethical dilemmas confronting occupational health are becoming more complex as they reflect changes in the world of work, demographic shifts, new technologies and future challenges to public health due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. This scenario is setting new contexts for occupational health physicians (OHPs) in their tasks and professional conduct, emphasizing the role of OHPs in balancing between individual (i.e. the health and working capacity of individual employees), enterprise (i.e. maximize the production) and community (i.e. the health and safety of the community at large) interests. This study looks at the problems raised by these ethical concerns in occupational health and proposes some solutions Materials and Methods: Thanks to a comprehensive analysis of ethical decision-making models in occupational health, we identified some drivers and barriers for correct professional ethics that can represent a starting point to acknowledge some proposals for ethical solutions Results: There has been no systematic attempt to study the true extent of ethical issues and how they are resolved in practice. In fact, the presence of numerous variables to be taken into consideration, as well as the growing number of potential stakeholders involved in ethical choice, prevented the identification of an ideal proposal able to solve ethical challenges in OHPs practice Conclusions: To deal with the ethical dilemmas in today’s changing world of work and the pandemics, the logic of an integrated approach must take account the importance of all three types of ethics: personal (individual), professional and institutional.