Healthcare workers and their families account for one-sixth of hospital COVID-19 cases

Healthcare workers and their families make up one-sixth (17%) of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the working age population (18-65 years), according to a Scottish study. BMJ today.

Hospitalization for COVID-19 in this age group was very low overall, Health care workers According to researchers, their families were higher than those of adults of other working ages, especially those of “front door” patients facing roles such as emergency medical and A & E department staff.

Thus, they say these findings affect the safety and well-being of Health care Workers and their households.

Many medical staff are infected with COVID-19 and work in a high-risk environment to send it to home, work contacts, or both. However, the extent of these risks is not well understood due to lack of research or suffering from quality issues.

To address this gap in evidence, a team of UK researchers decided to assess the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization between patient-facing and non-patient-facing healthcare professionals. I started. Household member..

Their findings show 158,445 healthcare workers (ages 18-65), 229,905 household members, and 229,905 household members during the peak period of COVID-19 infection in Scotland (March 1-6, 2020). Based on Scottish workforce data for other general populations. ..

Researchers have found that hospitalization with COVID-19 is rare and the overall risk is less than 0.5%.

However, compared to adults of other working ages, healthcare workers and their households make up 17% of all COVID-19-related hospitalizations, even though they account for only 11% of the working age population.

After adjusting factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, and basics Health (Comorbidities), the risk of hospitalization for COVID-19 in non-patient health care workers and their families was similar to that of the general population.

However, patient-facing healthcare professionals were three times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19, and family members were almost twice as likely to be hospitalized. hospital For COVID-19 than adults of other working ages.

People who work in the role of “front door”, such as emergency medical staff and A & E department staff, Hospitalization For COVID-19.

1 in 8 of hospitalized health care workers Critical care And 6 people (2.5%) died. Applying this to the context, this represents only 0.004% of deaths as a percentage of all health care workers. Of the hospitalized household members, one in five was hospitalized for critical care and 18 (13%) died.

Since this is an observational study, the cause cannot be determined, and researchers admit that some misclassification may have occurred. In addition, the results may not apply to ethnic minority groups, as the study included primarily white health care workers.

Nonetheless, researchers have found that these findings from the “first wave” of Scotland have been made by healthcare professionals in the role of facing patients, especially those in the role of “front door”, with their households. , Says that it indicates that you are exposed to a particular risk.

We also call on governments, health care managers, and occupational health professionals to consider the best ways to protect health care workers and their families in the event of a recurrence of the pandemic.

They conclude that these findings should help organizations in healthcare services, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and relocation decisions.

In a linked editorial, researchers at Skåne University Hospital in Sweden welcomed these findings, and the reasons for the observed increased risk are “examined to help guide improved safety in the medical setting. We need to. “

They “to protect health care workers and their families, including health care workers from ethnic minority communities with the highest risk of infection and poor outcomes, and to guide improved approaches to increasing workplace inequality. We are looking for quality research to evaluate new prevention and management practices.

They also call on the international community to support efforts by the World Health Organization to ensure an adequate supply of low and COVID-19 tests. Middle income countryAnd if an effective vaccine is available, he says, “it must be distributed fairly and healthcare professionals must be a global priority.”

According to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, they conclude, “We must ensure the protection and safety of all health care workers in all situations.”