Occupational Risk Assessment of COVID-19 Exposure: A Case Study in a Bank Setting

Abstract

Background: The rise of COVID-19 in the 21st century has posed challenges for national and international communities. Meanwhile, people who work in high-risk jobs in terms of biological exposure, such as banks, are more likely to be exposed to coronavirus. This study aimed to investigate the risk of probability and clinical severity of COVID-19 infection among employees of one of the bank branches in Shiraz, Iran.Methods: In this study, the risk of infection to Covid-19 among the desired bank branch employees was assessed using the Covid-age index. The related information was gathered through observation and face-to-face interviews using workplace risk assessment for exposure to SARS-COV-2 virus guidelines. Moreover, the International Labor Organization risk assessment standard was used to quantify the individuals’ risks.Results: The average COVID-19 risk score among studied employees was 4.6, categorized as low. Moreover, the employees’ mean age and Covid-age index were 44.7±3.65 and 47.6±4.52, respectively. The severity of the clinical picture was evaluated as mild to moderate (levels 1 and 2). Moreover, the risk of disease was considered 2 for all employees, considering the work environment.Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the Covid-age index could effectively evaluate and quantify the risk of exposure to COVID-19. Bank personnel is exposed to the biological risk of COVID-19. People with the underlying disease are at higher risk of COVID-19 consequences.

Keywords

• bank setting
• covid-19
• covid-age
• risk assessment exposure