OCCUPATIONAL RISK FACTORS AMONG HEALTHCARE WORKERS: CURRENT EVIDENCE AND RESULTS OF A COMPREHENSIVE OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE ASSESSMENT
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Abstract
Objective – to assess occupational, organizational, and hygienic factors associated with prior COVID-19 among healthcare workers, taking into account data from the special assessment of working conditions.
Materials and Methods. A retrospective multicenter study was conducted using data on occupational activities, working conditions, and prior COVID-19 among healthcare workers employed in healthcare facilities in Novosibirsk included in the study between March 2020 and June 2021.
Statistical analyses were performed in Python using statistical libraries for data processing within the PyCharm integrated development environment. Frequencies were compared using Pearson’s chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test. Associations were assessed using risk ratios and odds ratios with confidence intervals. The Benjamini–Hochberg correction was applied for multiple comparisons.
Results. COVID-19 was more frequently recorded among physicians than among nursing personnel and among workers in outpatient healthcare facilities compared with hospital workers. A higher frequency of infection was observed in departments directly caring for patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. For the chemical factor, a high frequency of COVID-19 was observed in working condition classes (WCC) 3.1 and 3.4, whereas for the biological factor, the highest frequency was observed in WCC 3.3. The frequency of COVID-19 was associated not only with the overall working condition class but also with the type of healthcare facility, department profile, and occupational group.
Conclusion. The frequency of prior COVID-19 was associated with occupational group, type of healthcare facility, department profile, and workplace characteristics.
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The authors declare that they have no apparent or potential conflicts of interest related to the publication of this article.
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References
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