PLoS ONE (Jan 2020)

Not sick enough to worry? "Influenza-like" symptoms and work-related behavior among healthcare workers and other professionals: Results of a global survey.

  • Ermira Tartari,
  • Katja Saris,
  • Nikki Kenters,
  • Kalisvar Marimuthu,
  • Andreas Widmer,
  • Peter Collignon,
  • Vincent C C Cheng,
  • Shuk C Wong,
  • Thomas Gottlieb,
  • Paul A Tambyah,
  • Eli Perencevich,
  • Benedetta Allegranzi,
  • Angela Dramowski,
  • Michael B Edmond,
  • Andreas Voss,
  • International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Infection and Prevention Control (ISAC-IPC) Working Group

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232168
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 5
p. e0232168

Abstract

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BackgroundHealthcare workers (HCWs) and non-HCWs may contribute to the transmission of influenza-like illness (ILI) to colleagues and susceptible patients by working while sick (presenteeism). The present study aimed to explore the views and behavior of HCWs and non-HCWs towards the phenomenon of working while experiencing ILI.MethodsThe study was a cross-sectional online survey conducted between October 2018 and January 2019 to explore sickness presenteeism and the behaviour of HCWs and non-HCWs when experiencing ILI. The survey questionnaire was distributed to the members and international networks of the International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (ISAC) Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Working Group, as well as via social media platforms, including LinkedIn, Twitter and IPC Blog.ResultsIn total, 533 respondents from 49 countries participated (Europe 69.2%, Asia-Pacific 19.1%, the Americas 10.9%, and Africa 0.8%) representing 249 HCWs (46.7%) and 284 non-HCWs (53.2%). Overall, 312 (58.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 56.2-64.6) would continue to work when sick with ILI, with no variation between the two categories. Sixty-seven (26.9%) HCWs and forty-six (16.2%) non-HCWs would work with fever alone (pConclusionA future strategy to successfully prevent the transmission of ILI in healthcare settings should address sick-leave policy management, in addition to encouraging the uptake of influenza vaccine.