The prevalence and determinants of SARS-CoV-2 infections among healthcare workers, results of a cross-sectional study in the Silesian Voivodeship

Abstract

Objectives A significant proportion of healthcare workers (HCWs) had been infected with SARS-CoV-2, which complicated the organization of patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the exact scale of infection prevalence among the group of HCWs is not known, therefore this study aimed to assess the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among HCWs in the Silesian voivodeship, Poland, and to define its determinants. Material and Methods The cross-sectional study was conducted in 2 multidisciplinary hospitals in the Silesian voivodeship during the period October 2021–February 2022. The standardized WHO questionnaire Surveillance protocol for SARS-CoV-2 infection among health workers was completed by 242 HCWs. To assess the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and its determinants, such as personal, occupational, and work environment-related conditions and preventive behaviors, the collected data were subjected to statistical analysis. For this purpose, descriptive and analytical statistics (significance of differences in χ 2 test) were used. Results Almost half (42.6%) of subjects were infected with coronavirus, most frequently care assistants (57.1%) and paramedics (50%). People suffering from chronic diseases were infected significantly more often (p 0.05). Conclusions Even though the PPE was used and the percentage of fully vaccinated HCWs against COVID-19 was high (89.7%), the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 infected HCWs remains high at 42.6% (95% CI: 40.7–44.5%). The main determinants of SARS-CoV-2 infection risk among HCWs were previous contact with infected individuals and the presence of chronic disease. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2023;36(2):201–13

Keywords

• covid-19
• sars-cov-2
• pandemics
• infection control
• health personnel
• personal protective equipment