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. 2022 Mar;27(11):2200164.
doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2022.27.11.2200164.

Surveillance and return to work of healthcare workers following SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infection, Sheffield, England, 17 January to 7 February 2022

Mohammed Raza  1 , Prosenjit Giri  2 , Subhashis Basu  2
Affiliations

Surveillance and return to work of healthcare workers following SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infection, Sheffield, England, 17 January to 7 February 2022

Mohammed Raza et al. Euro Surveill. 2022 Mar.

Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has challenged demands to minimise workplace transmission in healthcare settings while maintaining adequate staffing. Policymakers have shortened COVID-19 isolation periods, although little real-world data have evaluated the utility. Our findings from surveillance of 240 healthcare workers from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, England, show that 55% of affected staff could return before day 10 of isolation with over 25% eligible on day 6, pending two successive negative antigen tests. This outcome is favourable for continuity of healthcare services.

Keywords: Covid; Omicron; healthcare; surveillance; testing; work.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart for the SARS-CoV-2 testing process for healthcare workers, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, Sheffield, England, from 17 January 2022
Figure 2
Figure 2
Number of healthcare workers eligible to return to work on consecutive days following a positive SARS-CoV-2 test, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, Sheffield, England, 17 January–7 February 2022 (n = 132)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Supplementary concepts