Predictors for Severity of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Healthcare Workers

Abstract

Fathiya El-Raey,1 Mohamed Alboraie,2 Naglaa Youssef,3,4 Ahmed Yousef,5 Ahmed A Abdelmoaty,6 Essam Hassan,7 Sahar M Hassany,8 Sherief Abd-Elsalam,9 Ramy Elsharkawy,10 Khaled Farrag,11 Mohamed Elbadry,12 Mohammed Tag-Adeen,13 Nermeen Abdeen,14 Omar Elshaarawy,15 Tamer Haydara,16 Adel Ahmed Hassan,17 Marwa El-Sayed,18 Yasser Fouad,19 Amin Abdel Baki,20 Samy Zaky21 1Department of Hepatogastroenterology and Infectious Diseases, Al-Azhar University, Damietta, Egypt; 2Department of Internal Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt; 3Medical-surgical Nursing department, Faculty of Nursing, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt; 4Medical-surgical Nursing department, College of Nursing, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 5Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Damietta Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Damietta, Egypt; 6Tropical Medicine Department, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt; 7Department of Tropical Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt; 8Department of Tropical Medicine and Gastroenterology, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt; 9Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases Department, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt; 10Department of Tropical Medicine and Gastroenterology, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt; 11Department of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, National Medical Institute of Damanhour, Damanhour, Egypt; 12Endemic Medicine Department, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt; 13Department of Internal Medicine, South Valley University, Qena Faculty of Medicine, Qena, Egypt; 14Department of Tropical Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt; 15Department of Hepatology, Gastroenterology and Liver Transplantation, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Menoufia, Egypt; 16Department of Internal medicine, Gastroenterology & Hepatology Unit, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr el-Sheikh, Egypt; 17Infectious and Endemic Disease Department, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt; 18Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, 83523, Egypt; 19Department of Endemic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, Egypt; 20Department: Hepatology, Gastroenterology and Infectious Diseases Department, National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute (NHTMRI), Cairo, Egypt; 21Department of Hepatogastroenterology and Infectious Diseases, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, EgyptCorrespondence: Marwa El-SayedDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, 83523, EgyptTel [phone]Fax [phone]Email [email protected] AlboraieDepartment of internal medicine, faculty of medicine, Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, Cairo, 11884, EgyptTel [phone]Fax [phone]Email [email protected]: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are still at higher risk of acquiring severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections than the general population. Identifying risk factors associated with severe SARS-CoV-2 infections is of paramount importance to protect HCWs and the non-infected patients attending different healthcare facilities.Purpose: To recognize the predictors for severity of SARS-CoV2 infection among HCWs working in either COVID-19 or non-COVID-19 healthcare settings. Also, to assess compliance of HCW to standard precautions of infection control and explore the possible risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection among HCWs.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among HCWs with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, from different Egyptian governorates. They were asked to fill in a web-based self-reporting questionnaire. The questionnaire assessed the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of participants, compliance of HCWs to standard precautions of infection control and COVID-19 presentation.Results: Our study enrolled 204 HCWs (52.3% physicians). Infection of SARS-CoV-2 was confirmed in 61.3% by RT- PCR; 35.8% were admitted to hospital, and of these, 3.9% were admitted to the intensive care unit. While 30.4% had mild disease, 48.5% had moderate disease, 17.2% had severe disease and 3.9% had critical disease. Regression analysis for variables predicting COVID-19 severity among study healthcare workers showed that associated chronic diseases and management at home were the main independent variables predicting severity of their SARS-COV-2 infection, while the variables age, sex, residence, occupation or drug history of immunosuppressives had no role in severity prediction.Conclusion: Associated chronic diseases and management at home were the main independent variables predicting severity of SARS-COV-2 infection among HCWs. So, HCWs with chronic diseases should not work in COVID-19 designated hospitals, and there should be a screening strategy for their infection with SARS-COV-2. HCWs must not be negligent in adhering to strict precautions of infection control. HCWs infected with SARS-COV-2 must be managed in hospital not at home.Keywords: health care providers, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, delivery of health care, infection control introduction

Keywords

• health care providers
• sars-cov-2
• covid-19
• delivery of health care
• infection control introduction