The impact of Sars-CoV-2 on healthcare workers of a large University Hospital in the Veneto Region

Risk of infection and clinical presentation in relation to different pandemic phases and some relevant determinants

Bibliographic Data

ID22083063
AuthorsFilippo Liviero (0000-0002-4497-9287, University of Padua, corresponding author), Anna Volpin (University of Padua), Patrizia Furlan (0000-0001-5345-7037, University of Padua), Monica Battistella (University of Padua), Alessia Broggio (University of Padua), Laura Fabris (0000-0002-7089-5175, University of Padua), Francesco Favretto (University of Padua), Paola Mason (0000-0003-3941-6698, University of Padua), Silvia Cocchio (0000-0003-3801-0901, University of Padua), Claudia Cozzolino (0000-0001-7628-9515, University of Padua), Vincenzo Baldo (0000-0001-6012-9453, University of Padua), Angelo Moretto (0000-0003-4386-5736, University of Padua), Maria Luisa Scapellato (0000-0003-4740-4865, University of Padua)
Year2023
Volume11
Pages1250911-1250911
Publication date2023-11-30
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565
PublisherFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpubh.2023.1250911
PMID38098828
OpenAlexW4389245435
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited56

Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the prevalence of COVID-19-related symptoms in relation to pandemic phases and some relevant variables in a cohort of 8,029 HCWs from one of the largest Italian University Hospitals. Methods: A single-center retrospective study was performed on data collected during SARS-CoV-2 infection surveillance of HCWs. Cox's multiple regression was performed to estimate hazard ratios of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Logistic multivariate regression was used to assess the risk of asymptomatic infections and the onset of the most frequent symptoms. All analyses were adjusted for sociodemographic and occupational factors, pandemic phases, vaccination status, and previous infections. Results: A total of 3,760 HCWs resulted positive (2.0%-18.6% across five study phases). The total incidence rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection was 7.31 cases per 10,000 person-days, significantly lower in phase 1 and higher in phases 4 and 5, compared to phase 3. Younger HCWs, healthcare personnel, and unvaccinated subjects showed a higher risk of infection. Overall, 24.5% were asymptomatic infections, with a higher probability for men, physicians, and HCWs tested for screening, fully vaccinated, and those with previous infection. The clinical presentation changed over the phases in relation to vaccination status and the emergence of new variants. Conclusion: The screening activities of HCWs allowed for the early detection of asymptomatic cases, limiting the epidemic clusters inside the hospital wards. SARS-CoV-2 vaccination reduced infections and symptomatic cases, demonstrating again its paramount value as a preventive tool for occupational and public health

Asymptomatic · Cohort · Confidence interval · Disease · Hazard ratio · Health care · Infection control · Intensive care medicine · Logistic regression · Pandemic · Retrospective cohort study · Vaccination · COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies · Infection Control and Ventilation · Medicine · SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research · Emergency Medicine · Immunology · Internal Medicine · Pediatrics

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