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. 2023 May 26;57(suppl 1):11s.
doi: 10.11606/s1518-8787.2023057004829. eCollection 2023.

Is chemical exposure present in informal work associated with Sars-CoV-2 infection?

Fernanda Junqueira Salles  1 , Isabelle Nogueira Leroux  1 , Alda Neis Miranda de Araujo  2 , Nilson Antonio Assunção  2 , Maciel Santos Luz  3 , Glaucia Raquel Luciano da Veiga  4 , Fernando Luiz Affonso Fonseca  2   4 , Fredi Alexander Diaz-Quijano  5 , Kelly Polido Kaneshiro Olympio  1
Affiliations

Is chemical exposure present in informal work associated with Sars-CoV-2 infection?

Fernanda Junqueira Salles et al. Rev Saude Publica. .

Abstract

Objective: To compare the incidence of covid-19 symptoms between informal home-based workers and a control group and to assess the association of these cases with blood elements concentrations and other relevant risk factors for Sars-Cov-2 infection.

Methods: Welders chemically exposed to potentially toxic elements (PTEs) (n = 26) and control participants (n = 25) answered questionnaires on adherence to social distancing and signs and symptoms of the disease for five months during the covid-19 pandemic. After follow-up, covid-19 serology tests were performed on a subsample of 12 chemically exposed workers and 20 control participants. Before the pandemic, PTE concentrations in blood (As, Mn, Ni, Cd, Hg, Sb, Sn, Cu, Zn, and Pb) were measured by ICP-MS.

Results: The chemically exposed group had higher lead and cadmium levels in blood (p < 0.01). The control group presented lower adherence to social distancing (p = 0.016). Although not significant, welders had a 74% greater chance of having at least one covid-19 symptom compared with control participants, but their adherence to social distancing decreased this chance by 20%. The use of taxis for transportation was a risk factor significantly associated with covid-19 symptoms.

Conclusion: The lower adherence to social distancing among the control group greatly influences the development of covid-19. The literature lacks data linking exposure to PTEs and Sars-Cov-2 infection and/or severity. In this study, despite chemical exposure, working from home may have protected welders against covid-19, considering that they maintained greater social distancing than control participants.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure
Figure. Flowchart of participant adherence throughout the study.
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