Abstract
Objectives: The worldwide SARS-COV2 pandemic has impacted the health of workers and companies. The aim is to quantify it according to sick leave.Methods: Using ICD-9 codes, we analyzed Ibermutua records of all sick leaves during the first trimester of 2020, compared to during the same months of 2017, 2018, and 2019. We stratified the analysis by causes, patient sex, activity sectors, and regional data. All sick leaves were adjusted by the number of Ibermutua-affiliated persons in each period.Results: In March 2020, there was an unprecedented (116%) increase in total sick leaves, mainly due to infectious and respiratory diseases. Men and women were equally affected. All activity sectors were impacted, with the highest increase (457%) observed among health-related workers, especially due to contagious disease. The incidences of sick leaves were heterogeneous among different regions. Cost-analysis of sick leaves during the first trimester of 2020 compared with in previous years showed 40.3% increment (mean 2,813 vs. 2,005 € per 100 affiliated workers).Conclusions: The SARS-COV2 pandemic is having a huge impact on workers' health, as shown by data regarding sick leaves in March 2020. This is associated with greater economic burden for companies, both due to the cost associated with sick leaves and the losses in productivity due to confinement.
Highlights
Since December 2019, starting in the city of Wuhan, China, the world has been suffering an outbreak of the new coronavirus SARS-COV2, which induces acute respiratory infection, bilateral pneumonia, respiratory failure, and in some cases death [1]
The increased Sick leave (SL) were mainly due to SL related to respiratory disease, infectious disease, and undefined symptoms, which is concordant with the SARS-COV2 outbreak
It is interesting to note that during March 2020, general practitioners in Spain cared for 26 subjects with COVID-19-like symptoms in their clinics for every two patients diagnosed with severe forms of COVID-19 and admitted to hospitals [15]
Summary
Since December 2019, starting in the city of Wuhan, China, the world has been suffering an outbreak of the new coronavirus SARS-COV2, which induces acute respiratory infection, bilateral pneumonia, respiratory failure, and in some cases death [1]. At the end of March 2020, there were 85,195 known cases [3], and the mortality was 34% higher than expected [4]. This rapid spread overwhelmed many health facilities, necessitating the construction of auxiliary sanitary centers. COVID-19 diagnosis relies on PCR-based viral detection from nasopharyngeal swabs. Access to these kits has been limited and some infected individuals remain asymptomatic or with only mild symptoms [5]; it is generally agreed that the disease is markedly underdiagnosed
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