Preventive Medicine Reports (Oct 2022)
The pandemic toll and post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare workers at a Swiss University Hospital
- Mayssam Nehme,
- Laure Vieux,
- Delphine S. Courvoisier,
- Olivia Braillard,
- Hervé Spechbach,
- Frederique Jacquerioz,
- Julien Salamun,
- Frederic Assal,
- Frederic Lador,
- Matteo Coen,
- Thomas Agoritsas,
- Jean-Luc Reny,
- Christophe Graf,
- Lamyae Benzakour,
- Riccardo Favale,
- Paola M. Soccal,
- Guido Bondolfi,
- Aglaé Tardin,
- Dina Zekry,
- Silvia Stringhini,
- Stéphanie Baggio,
- Stéphane Genevay,
- Kim Lauper,
- Philippe Meyer,
- Nana Kwabena Poku,
- Basile N. Landis,
- Marwène Grira,
- José Sandoval,
- Julien Ehrsam,
- Simon Regard,
- Camille Genecand,
- Garance Kopp,
- Ivan Guerreiro,
- Gilles Allali,
- Pauline Vetter,
- Laurent Kaiser,
- François Chappuis,
- Catherine Chenaud,
- Idris Guessous
Affiliations
- Mayssam Nehme
- Division of Primary care Medicine of the Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; Corresponding author.
- Laure Vieux
- Division of Occupational Medicine, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland
- Delphine S. Courvoisier
- Quality of Care Division, Medical Directorate, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; Cantonal Health Service, General Directorate for Health, Geneva, Switzerland
- Olivia Braillard
- Division of Primary care Medicine of the Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Hervé Spechbach
- Division of Primary care Medicine of the Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Frederique Jacquerioz
- Division of Primary care Medicine of the Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; Division of Tropical and Humanitarian Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; Geneva Center for Emerging Viral Diseases, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Julien Salamun
- Division of Primary care Medicine of the Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Frederic Assal
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Division of Neurology, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Frederic Lador
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Matteo Coen
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Thomas Agoritsas
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Jean-Luc Reny
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Christophe Graf
- Department of Rehabilitation and Geriatrics, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Lamyae Benzakour
- Division of Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Riccardo Favale
- Division of Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Paola M. Soccal
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Guido Bondolfi
- Division of Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Aglaé Tardin
- Cantonal Health Service, General Directorate for Health, Geneva, Switzerland
- Dina Zekry
- Department of Rehabilitation and Geriatrics, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Silvia Stringhini
- Division of Primary care Medicine of the Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Stéphanie Baggio
- Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Division of Prison Health, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Stéphane Genevay
- Division of Rheumatology, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Kim Lauper
- Division of Rheumatology, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Philippe Meyer
- Division of Cardiology, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Nana Kwabena Poku
- Division of Cardiology, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Basile N. Landis
- Division of Otolaryngology, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Marwène Grira
- Division of Primary care Medicine of the Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- José Sandoval
- Department of Oncology, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Julien Ehrsam
- Division of Primary care Medicine of the Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Medical Information Sciences, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Simon Regard
- Cantonal Health Service, General Directorate for Health, Geneva, Switzerland; Division of Emergency Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Camille Genecand
- Cantonal Health Service, General Directorate for Health, Geneva, Switzerland
- Garance Kopp
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Ivan Guerreiro
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Gilles Allali
- Division of Neurology, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; Leenaards Memory Center, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Pauline Vetter
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; Geneva Center for Emerging Viral Diseases, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; Division of Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory of Virology, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Laurent Kaiser
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; Geneva Center for Emerging Viral Diseases, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; Division of Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory of Virology, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- François Chappuis
- Division of Tropical and Humanitarian Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Catherine Chenaud
- Division of Occupational Medicine, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland
- Idris Guessous
- Division of Primary care Medicine of the Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Journal volume & issue
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Vol. 29
p. 101899
Abstract
Healthcare workers have potentially been among the most exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as the deleterious toll of the pandemic. This study has the objective to differentiate the pandemic toll from post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection in healthcare workers compared to the general population.The study was conducted between April and July 2021 at the Geneva University Hospitals, Switzerland. Eligible participants were all tested staff, and outpatient individuals tested for SARS-CoV-2 at the same hospital. The primary outcome was the prevalence of symptoms in healthcare workers compared to the general population, with measures of COVID-related symptoms and functional impairment, using prevalence estimates and multivariable logistic regression models.Healthcare workers (n = 3083) suffered mostly from fatigue (25.5 %), headache (10.0 %), difficulty concentrating (7.9 %), exhaustion/burnout (7.1 %), insomnia (6.2 %), myalgia (6.7 %) and arthralgia (6.3 %). Regardless of SARS-CoV-2 infection, all symptoms were significantly higher in healthcare workers than the general population (n = 3556). SARS-CoV-2 infection in healthcare workers was associated with loss or change in smell, loss or change in taste, palpitations, dyspnea, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, and headache. Functional impairment was more significant in healthcare workers compared to the general population (aOR 2.28; 1.76–2.96), with a positive association with SARS-CoV-2 infection (aOR 3.81; 2.59–5.60).Symptoms and functional impairment in healthcare workers were increased compared to the general population, and potentially related to the pandemic toll as well as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection. These findings are of concern, considering the essential role of healthcare workers in caring for all patients including and beyond COVID-19.
