Lost work days associated with long COVID among healthcare workers

Abstract

Background and aims: Long COVID among healthcare workers may have an important impact on productivity. Our aim was to analyze lost work days (LWD) related to long COVID among healthcare workers. Methods: We analyzed data from n=2,330 healthcare workers from the Mexican Social Security Institute previously diagnosed with SARSCoV-2, that submitted at least one short term disability claim (STDC) for a post-COVID symptom (April 2020-August 2021). Outcome was the sum of LWD for main reported post-COVID symptom for STDC submitted. Post-COVID symptoms included those reported by the literature at the time of the study, and categorized as: circulatory, kidney and liver symptoms (CKL), mental and behavioral disorders (MB), nervous system symptoms (NS) and respiratory symptoms (RS). We used linear regression to model adjusting for age, sex, work category (assistant to COVID attention (REF), direct COVID-patient contact and, administrative/no COVID attention), hospitalization due to SARSCoV-2 infection, having a STDC previous to SARSCoV-2 with the same post-COVID symptom and if the STDC was classified as work-related. Results: Participants had a mean age of 41±9 years and 70% were women. MB were most frequent (45%), followed by RS (30%), CKL (14%) and NS (11%). LWD were on average of 23±39 and n=312 participants submitted more than one STDC. Compared to RS, all categories were associated with increased LWD, NS: ß= 17.26 (95% CI: 2.46, 14.89), CKL: ß= 8.51 (95% CI: -3.49, 13.53) and MB: ß= 8.08 (95% CI: 4.36, 11.79). Sex was not associated with LWD, whereas all covariates were associated with increasing LWD, with work-related STDC classification having the strongest association (ß= 24.14, 95% CI: 17.42, 30.86). Conclusions: LWD due to long COVID among healthcare workers increased the most among those with NS and especially for STDC classified as work-related. Keywords: long COVID, healthcare workers, lost work days.