Abstract
We report the results of a study on the cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in about 6000 workers of the University Hospital of Modena, Northern Italy, in the period March 2020–January 2021, and the relations with some individual and occupational factors. Overall, in healthcare workers (HCW) the cumulative incidence of COVID-19 during the period was 13.8%. Results confirm the role of overweight and obesity as significant risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Chronic respiratory diseases, including asthma, also proved to be significantly associated with the infection rate. Considering occupational factors, the COVID-19 risk was about threefold (OR: 2.7; 95% CI 1.7–4.5) greater in nurses and nurse aides than in non-HCW, and about double (OR: 1.9; 95% CI 1.2–3.2) in physicians. Interestingly, an association was also observed between infection risk and nightshifts at work (OR: 1.8; 95% CI 1.4–2.3), significantly related to the total number of shifts in the whole eleven-month period. Even if the vaccination campaign has now greatly modified the scenario of SARS-CoV-2 infections among HCW, the results of this study can be useful for further development of health and policy strategies to mitigate the occupational risk related to the new variants of coronavirus, and therefore the evolution of the pandemic.
Highlights
The relevant occupational risk related to SARS-CoV-2 infection in healthcare workers (HCW) is widely recognized [1,2]
Model 1 investigated the association of COVID-19 diagnosis with the presence of any disease, while in model 2 we kept only the presence of chronic respiratory diseases, i.e., the only specific diseases significantly associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in the univariate analysis
An increased Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) in overweight compared to normal weight workers was confirmed in both model 1 (1.28; 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.01–1.62) and model 2 (1.27; 95% CI 1.00–1.61), and in the obese the aORs were even higher: 1.41 and 1.38, respectively, in model 1 and 2 (Table 2)
Summary
The relevant occupational risk related to SARS-CoV-2 infection in healthcare workers (HCW) is widely recognized [1,2]. This occupational group may have an increased risk of COVID-19, including severe disease, depending on various individual risk factors common to the general population such as male sex, older age, overweight and obesity and the presence of various concomitant chronic diseases [3,4,5,6,7]. Other work-related factors that may increase the risk of COVID-19 for HCW have been hypothesized in recent studies, such as poor sleep quality, higher working pressure and other psychosocial factors, while less data are available on the performance of nightshifts at work [6,18,19]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
