Impact of social contacts on SARS-CoV-2 exposure among healthcare workers.
Occup Med (Lond)
; 72(1): 10-16, 2022 01 13.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1462448
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Healthcare workers (HCWs) have an increased risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection due to occupational exposure. Strict measures generally focus on the patient-to-HCW contacts. However, interactions between the HCWs also pose a high risk for SARS-CoV-2 exposure.AIMS:
This study was aimed to investigate the effect of social contacts on the level of SARS-CoV-2 exposure risk among workers by broadening the current risk assessment algorithm.METHODS:
Contact tracing records of the workers in a large university hospital between 19th March and 31st December 2020 were analysed. Multivariate conditional logistic regression models were estimated to evaluate factors associated with high-risk exposure for contacts among workers.RESULTS:
Of the 329 exposed clusters, 260 (79%) were HCW-to-HCW contacted clusters. High-risk exposure was higher in the HCW-to-HCW contacts (44%), when compared to the patient-to-HCW contacts (5%) (P < 0.001). A total of 1827 HCWs contacted a laboratory-confirmed COVID-19-positive co-worker. Among the HCW-to-HCW contacts, high-risk exposure was higher in the support staff (49%, P < 0.001), in non-patient care settings (47%, P < 0.001) and in the social contacts (57%, P < 0.001). Social contacts between workers increased the high-risk exposure (adjusted odds ratio 3.50, 95% confidence interval 2.62-4.69) in multivariate analysis.CONCLUSIONS:
A significant association between social contacts among workers and high-risk exposure of SARS-CoV-2 was observed. The results of the study emphasize the need for policies regarding the improved protection of HCWs in social settings in addition to patient care services.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Occupational Exposure
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Occup Med (Lond)
Journal subject:
Occupational Medicine
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Occmed
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