Predictors of COVID-19 among Healthcare Workers who were Exposed to COVID-19

Abstract

Background:We described the outcomes of healthcare workers (HCWs) who have been exposed to COVID-19. Materials and Methods:We included the HCWs exposed COVID-19 and admitted to the COVID-19 outpatient clinic between March 13 and August 31, 2020, at a university hospital in Ankara, Turkey. The clinical data and exposure status were retrospectively obtained from medical records. Results:We analyzed 809 admissions of 690 HCWs. In total, 490 HCWs were admitted after suspected exposure to COVID-19 patients. In 32% of these admissions, typical symptoms were observed, and 15% of them developed COVID-19. Polymerase chain reaction test for SARS-CoV-2 was positive in %10 of asymptomatic HCWs. Exposure outside the hospital was 2.3 times more common (OR 2.28, p=0.020, CI 1.141-4.543) than exposure in the hospital. In the hospital setting, exposure to a patient was 1.6 times higher than social contact with colleagues during work. Male gender and occupations other than doctors were independent risk factors. Among HCWs diagnosed with COVID-19, 13% required hospitalization; fortunately, there were no intensive care unit admissions and no deaths. Conclusion:After suspected exposure, HCWs should be screened for SARS-CoV-2 and monitored closely for symptom development. Strict infection control precautions and appropriate personal protective equipment use are crucial to reducing transmission of SARS-CoV-2 both in the hospital setting and in social life.

Determination of risk factors playing a role in the transmission of COVID-19 in healthcare professionals

“…Some studies have shown that the rate of household or community-acquired COVID-19 transmission is higher than that of hospital-acquired transmission (15,26). In the positive group, the rate of those with out-of-hospital contact was significantly higher than the negative group ( 95% vs 73.4% ).…”

“…While some studies reported no relationship between the transmission of COVID-19 and gender (13,14). Another study reported that male gender was an independent risk factor for transmission (15). Authors explained the higher incidence of disease in males by behavioural factors such as low handwashing rates and non-compliance with rules (16,17).…”

“…Some studies revealed that doctors or nurses had a higher risk of the transmission of COVID-19 (13,27). However, Erol et al (15) revealed that healthcare workers other than doctors had a higher risk. We found no significant relationship between the transmission of COVID-19 and the profession.…”