Emerging Infectious Diseases (Jan 2022)

Risk Factors for SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among US Healthcare Personnel, May–December 2020

  • Nora Chea,
  • Cedric J. Brown,
  • Taniece Eure,
  • Rebecca Alkis Ramirez,
  • Gregory Blazek,
  • Austin R. Penna,
  • Ruoran Li,
  • Christopher A. Czaja,
  • Helen Johnston,
  • Devra Barter,
  • Betsy Feighner Miller,
  • Kathleen Angell,
  • Kristen E. Marshall,
  • Ashley Fell,
  • Sara Lovett,
  • Sarah Lim,
  • Ruth Lynfield,
  • Sarah Shrum Davis,
  • Erin C. Phipps,
  • Marla Sievers,
  • Ghinwa Dumyati,
  • Cathleen Concannon,
  • Kathryn McCullough,
  • Amy Woods,
  • Sandhya Seshadri,
  • Christopher Myers,
  • Rebecca Pierce,
  • Valerie L.S. Ocampo,
  • Judith A. Guzman-Cottrill,
  • Gabriela Escutia,
  • Monika Samper,
  • Nicola D. Thompson,
  • Shelley S. Magill,
  • Cheri T. Grigg

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2801.211803
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 28, no. 1
pp. 95 – 103

Abstract

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To determine risk factors for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) among US healthcare personnel (HCP), we conducted a case–control analysis. We collected data about activities outside the workplace and COVID-19 patient care activities from HCP with positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) test results (cases) and from HCP with negative test results (controls) in healthcare facilities in 5 US states. We used conditional logistic regression to calculate adjusted matched odds ratios and 95% CIs for exposures. Among 345 cases and 622 controls, factors associated with risk were having close contact with persons with COVID-19 outside the workplace, having close contact with COVID-19 patients in the workplace, and assisting COVID-19 patients with activities of daily living. Protecting HCP from COVID-19 may require interventions that reduce their exposures outside the workplace and improve their ability to more safely assist COVID-19 patients with activities of daily living.

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