Risk of Sars-CoV-2 Infection Among Essential Workers in a Community-Based Cohort in the United States

Bibliographic Data

ID22072074
AuthorsChih-Fu Wei, Chih‐Fu Wei (Harvard University), Fan‐Yun Lan (0000-0001-5167-3975, Cambridge Health Alliance), Fan-Yun Lan, Yu‐tien Hsu (0000-0001-6384-9878, Harvard University), Yu-Tien Hsu, Nina Lowery (Community Health Center), Lauren Dibona (Community Health Center), Ream Akkeh (Community Health Center), Stefanos N Kales (0000-0002-7712-4664, Cambridge Health Alliance), Justin Yang (0000-0003-2881-4906, Boston University, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume10
Pages878208-878208
Publication date2022-05-17
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565
PublisherFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpubh.2022.878208
PMID35677773
OpenAlexW4280507078
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited40

Objectives: The objective of this paper is to identify the risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection that are related to occupation type as well as workplace conditions. Identifying such risk factors could have noteworthy implications in workplace safety enhancement and emergency preparedness planning for essential workers. Methods: , 2020, for individuals between 14 and 65 years of age. Nasopharyngeal swab specimen, medical review, and self-administered questionnaire were obtained, and SARS-CoV-2 infection was determined with real-time, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Medical record-verified job classification, customer-facing, and work patterns were extracted from each individual's response through chart review and validated by licensed clinicians. The occupational patterns were coded by occupational medicine physicians with pre-specified criteria and were analyzed with logistic regression and inverse probability weighting. Results: Among the 780 individuals included in the final analysis, working in healthcare-related jobs was associated with a four-fold increase in risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection (Adjusted OR: 4.00, 95% CI: 1.45-11.02). Individuals with customer-facing jobs had a two times risk increase (Adjusted OR: 1.97, 95% CI: 1.12-3.45) in having a positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR assay result compared to participants with non-customer facing positions. Conclusions: In this U.S. community-based population during the initial wave of the pandemic, a significant increase in risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection was observed in those employed in the healthcare sector or with customer-facing positions. Further research is warranted to determine if these correlations continued with the buildup of population immunity together with the attenuation of SARS-CoV-2 virulence

Cohort · Emergency department · Environmental health · Family medicine · Logistic regression · Occupational safety and health · Pathology · Population · Preparedness · Infection Control and Ventilation · Medicine · Nursing · SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research · SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing · Emergency Medicine · Internal Medicine

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