Differential occupational risks to healthcare workers from SARS-CoV-2 observed during a prospective observational study

D. Eyre, S. Lumley, D. O’Donnell, M. Campbell, Elizabeth Sims, Elaine Lawson, F. Warren, T. James, S. Cox, A. Howarth, George Doherty, S. Hatch, J. Kavanagh, K. Chau, P. Fowler, J. Swann, Denis Volk, F. Yang-Turner, N. Stoesser, P. Matthews, M. Dudareva, T. Davies, R. Shaw, L. Peto, L. Downs, A. Vogt, A. Amini, B. Young, P. Drennan, A. Mentzer, D. Skelly, F. Karpe, M. Neville, M. Andersson, A. Brent, N. Jones, Lucas Martins Ferreira, Thomas Christott, B. Marsden, S. Hoosdally, R. Cornall, D. Crook, D. Stuart, G. Screaton, T. Peto, Bruno Holthof, A. O'donnell, D. Ebner, C. Conlon, K. Jeffery, T. Walker

eLife, 2020

We conducted voluntary Covid-19 testing programmes for symptomatic and asymptomatic staff at a UK teaching hospital using naso-/oro-pharyngeal PCR testing and immunoassays for IgG antibodies. 1128/10,034 (11.2%) staff had evidence of Covid-19 at some time. Using questionnaire data provided on potential risk-factors, staff with a confirmed household contact were at greatest risk (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 4.82 [95%CI 3.45–6.72]). Higher rates of Covid-19 were seen in staff working in Covid-19-facing areas (22.6% vs. 8.6% elsewhere) (aOR 2.47 [1.99–3.08]). Controlling for Covid-19-facing status, risks were heterogenous across the hospital, with higher rates in acute medicine (1.52 [1.07–2.16]) and sporadic outbreaks in areas with few or no Covid-19 patients. Covid-19 intensive care unit staff were relatively protected (0.44 [0.28–0.69]), likely by a bundle of PPE-related measures. Positive results were more likely in Black (1.66 [1.25–2.21]) and Asian (1.51 [1.28–1.77]) staff, independent of role or working location, and in porters and cleaners (2.06 [1.34–3.15]).

Cited by 86 publications.

Field of study: Medicine

10.7554/eLife.60675