COVID-19 among Health Workers in Germany—An Update

Abstract

This is an update of our report on COVID-19 among health and social welfare workers in Germany. Workers’ compensation claims for occupational diseases (OD) are recorded in a standardized database of the Statutory Accident Insurance and Prevention in the Health and Welfare Services (BGW). We analyzed which workers in the health and welfare sector are most often affected by COVID-19. For the different sectors in healthcare and welfare, the number of full-time workers is known (FTW), allowing for calculation of claim rates by sector. The period for data presentation was extended to 3 May 2021 for this update. The cumulative number of COVID-19 claims increased from 4398 by May 2020 to 84,728 by May 2021. The majority of claims concern nursing homes (39.5%) and hospitals (37.6%). Nursing is the profession most often concerned (68.8%). Relative to the number of workers, the claim rate is highest for hospitals (41.3/1000 FTW). Seventy-seven workers died (0.09%) and three hundred and seventy-five (0.4%) were hospitalized. A total of 65,693 (77.5%) claims were assessed, and for 81.4% of these claims, the OD was confirmed. The number of health and welfare workers affected by COVID-19 is high. With most HW vaccinated by now in Germany, within the next few weeks or months, the number of new cases should decrease.

Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 on Workers in Health and Social Services in Germany

“…Nevertheless, there can be large differences within occupational groups and between different institutions [ 6 ]. Nursing staff in elderly care facilities and hospitals were particularly affected during the first wave in Germany [ 7 ]. By the end of 2021, a total of around 132,000 suspected cases of COVID-19 infection due to occupational causes have been reported to the Institution for Statutory Accident Insurance and Prevention in the Health and Welfare Services (BGW), and a little under 87,000 cases have been recognised as an occupational disease.…”

Anhaltende Fatigue als Folge einer COVID-19-Infektion bei Beschäftigten im Gesundheitswesen: Risikofaktoren und Auswirkungen auf die Lebensqualität

“…Die BGW ist der Unfallversicherungsträger für die private Kranken- und Wohlfahrtspflege einschließlich der Kirchen und anderer Nichtregierungsorganisationen. Entsprechend umfasst die BGW-Datenbank nicht die Beschäftigten in staatlichen Krankenhäusern [ 5 ].…”

Healthcare workers’ compliance with COVID-19 preventive measures, and associated factors, in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…15 Moreover, the WHO reported that 14% of COVID-19 victims are HCWs in low/middle-income countries, while the HCWs who are reported to have lost their lives in developed nations range from 17 805 to 56 977 from October 2020 to August 2021. [16][17][18][19][20] As of March 2021, it was reported that the COVID-19 seroprevalence among HCWs in Ethiopia ranged from 53.7% to 56.1%. 21 To control the spread of COVID-19, the WHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have repeatedly emphasised preventive measures such as hand washing, maintaining social distance and using face masks.…”

“…The second objective of this review was to determine the factor associated with HCWs' compliance with COVID-19 preventive measures. The natural logarithmadjusted OR and 95% confidence levels of each included article were used to determine the relationship between good compliance with COVID- 19…”

“…According to the WHO, globally, around 115 000 HCWs have died between January 2020 and May 2021 15. Moreover, the WHO reported that 14% of COVID-19 victims are HCWs in low/middle-income countries, while the HCWs who are reported to have lost their lives in developed nations range from 17 805 to 56 977 from October 2020 to August 2021 16–20. As of March 2021, it was reported that the COVID-19 seroprevalence among HCWs in Ethiopia ranged from 53.7% to 56.1% 21…”