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Observational Study
. 2021 Jan:102:32-36.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.10.009. Epub 2020 Oct 8.

Characteristics of healthcare workers infected with COVID-19: A cross-sectional observational study

Zaina Al Maskari  1 , Ahlam Al Blushi  2 , Faryal Khamis  3 , Amal Al Tai  4 , Issa Al Salmi  5 , Hasina Al Harthi  6 , Muzna Al Saadi  7 , Ameera Al Mughairy  8 , Ricky Gutierrez  9 , Zakariya Al Blushi  10
Affiliations
Observational Study

Characteristics of healthcare workers infected with COVID-19: A cross-sectional observational study

Zaina Al Maskari et al. Int J Infect Dis. 2021 Jan.

Abstract

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new emerging infectious disease, first identified in China in December 2019, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This study describes the characteristics of healthcare workers (HCWs) who tested positive for COVID-19 in a tertiary care hospital in Oman.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive analysis of HCWs with COVID-19.

Results: During the study period, 204 HCWs tested positive for COVID-19 by rRT-PCR test, with a test positivity rate of 21.2%; the percentage of infected hospital staff was 4.3%. Their mean age was 36 years. Overall, 2.2% of the male staff were infected, while 9.3% of the female staff were infected. Among the clinicians, 4.7% were infected; among the nurses, 4.1% were infected. Regarding acquisition, 61.3% of infections (n = 125) were community-acquired and 25.5% (n = 52) were hospital-acquired; no source was identified in 13.2% of cases (n = 27). There was a significant difference between hospital-acquired and community-acquired COVID-19 according to the different HCW categories (p < 0.001), sex (p = 0.041), and being at risk of COVID-19 exposure in the hospital (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in relation to nationality (p = 0498), age (p = 0.119), or the presence of co-morbidities (p = 0.326). Seventy-eight percent (n = 160) had no chronic diseases and 44% presented with fever and an acute respiratory infection (n = 90); all made an uneventful full recovery. The peak of infection acquisition was after the Eid Al Fitr festival.

Conclusions: HCWs are at an increased risk of COVID-19 in the workplace. The strengthening of infection control measures to prevent exposures from infected patients and colleagues and to reduce the spread of COVID-19 is a necessity.

Keywords: COVID-19; Community-acquired; Healthcare workers; Hospital-acquired; Infection.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chronology of the different types of acquisition: community-acquired (CA), hospital-acquired (HA), unknown.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Percentage of healthcare workers presenting symptoms on diagnosis.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Percentage of infected healthcare workers of the total infected (N = 204).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Oman Enters Community Transmission Stage of Coronavirus; Numbers to Rise, Says Top Official. TAS News Service, March 26, 2020. https://www.thearabianstories.com/2020/03/26/oman-enters-community-trans....
    1. CDC, USA, Interim U.S. Guidance for Risk Assessment and Work Restrictions for Healthcare Personnel with Potential Exposure to COVID-19, March 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/guidance-risk-assesment-hc....
    1. Infection Prevention & Control Guidelines for COVID-19, MOH Oman. www.moh.gov.om. MOH/DGDSC-DIPC/COVID-19 IPC Guidelines/Vers 05/31st March 2020.
    1. CDC COVID-19 Response Team Characteristics of health care personnel with COVID-19—United States, February 12–April 9, 2020. MMWR. 2020;69(April (15)) - PMC - PubMed
    1. Chu Jiaojiao. Clinical characteristics of 54 medical staff with COVID‐19: a retrospective study in a single center in Wuhan, China. J Med Virol. 2020:1–7. - PMC - PubMed

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