COVID-19 could be the most frequent occupational disease in Romania in 2020

Abstract

The definition of COVID-19 as occupational disease follows the investigation of any other occupational disease caused by an infectious agent. The risk is not equal for all occupations and the occupational physician has to assess the working conditions to conclude a diagnosis of occupational COVID-19. In the pandemic context, employees face also other occupational hazards. The high level of work load and the scarce resources lead to stress, physical and mental exhaustion and irregular sleep. The protection measures, of undisputable benefit, increase the risk for contact dermatitis. There is a high probability for medium and possible long term effects of COVID-19, such as the post-traumatic stress disorder or the respiratory sequelae. These consequences need to be acknowledged and properly manged by the medical team taking care of the patient. This review presents the main characteristics of the occupational related disorders during and after the current pandemia.