Respiratory And Non-Respiratory Symptoms In Health Care Professionals Infected With Sars-Cov-2 – Reported Cases In The First Wave Of Covid-19 In A Portuguese Occupational Health Service

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Healthcare professionals are among the main risk groups for COVID-19 and can also be a source of transmission to patients to whom they provide care. The identification of symptoms is important in the clinical presumption of COVID-19. However, the infection may be asymptomatic or paucysymptomatic. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study, with retrospective analysis of the clinical records of health professionals who went by self-initiative to the Occupational Health Service of a University Hospital Center, between March and August 2020, for presenting symptoms, risk contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, or by both and, who in this context, performed the RT PCR SARS-CoV-2 test. RESULTS: 613 professionals were evaluated. Of the 420 symptomatic professionals, in 27 COVID-19 was confirmed, while only 3 of the 193 asymptomatic professionals being positive (95% CI, p = 0,009). In turn, of the 371 who had respiratory symptoms, 19 were positive for COVID-19, versus 11 among the 242 who had no respiratory symptoms, not being difference statistically significant (95% CI;p = 0,75). Nasal congestion and rhinorrhea were the respiratory symptoms with the highest proportion of positive cases (11,43% and 8,97%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Although COVID-19 is typically associated with respiratory symptoms, not all these symptoms were predictive of disease. It becomes crucial to value mild symptoms among healthcare professionals, even in the absence of risk contact.