Covid-19 presentation among symptomatic healthcare workers in Ireland
dc.check.date | 2022-02-15 | |
dc.check.info | Access to this article is restricted until 12 months after publication by request of the publisher. | en |
dc.contributor.author | O'Sullivan, Grainne | |
dc.contributor.author | Jacob, S. | |
dc.contributor.author | Barrett, Peter M. | |
dc.contributor.author | Gallagher, J. | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2021-05-11T09:35:15Z | |
dc.date.available | 2021-05-11T09:35:15Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2021-02-15 | |
dc.description.abstract | Background: It is recognized that healthcare workers (HCWs) are at high risk of contracting Covid-19. It is incumbent on occupational health staff to recognize potential symptoms of Covid-19 among HCWs. Aims: The aims of the study were to describe the presenting symptoms of HCWs who developed Covid-19 in Ireland, and to estimate the odds of specific symptoms being associated with a positive Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) result. Methods: A retrospective chart review of all symptomatic HCWs who self-presented for Covid-19 testing in Cork from March to May 2020 was conducted. A sex-matched case–control study was carried out to compare presenting features among those who tested positive compared to those who tested negative. Univariate and multivariable-adjusted conditional logistic regression models were run using Stata 15.0 to identify the symptoms associated with positive Covid-19 swab results. Results: Three hundred and six HCWs were included in the study; 102 cases and 204 controls. Common presenting features among cases were fever/chills (55%), cough (44%) and headache (35%). The symptoms which were significantly associated with a positive Covid-19 swab result were loss of taste/smell (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 12.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.36–108.79), myalgia (aOR 2.36, 95% 1.27–4.38), fatigue (aOR 2.31, 95% CI 1.12–4.74), headache (aOR 2.11, 95% CI 1.19–3.74) and fever/chills (aOR 1.88, 95% CI 1.12–3.15). Conclusions: Fever, fatigue, myalgia, loss of taste/smell and headache were associated with increased odds of a Covid-19 diagnosis among symptomatic self-referred HCWs compared with those had negative swab results. Testing criteria for HCWs should reflect the broad range of possible symptoms of Covid-19. | en |
dc.description.status | Peer reviewed | en |
dc.description.version | Accepted Version | en |
dc.format.mimetype | application/pdf | en |
dc.identifier.citation | O’Sullivan, G., Jacob, S., Barrett, P. M. and Gallagher, J. (2021) 'Covid-19 presentation among symptomatic healthcare workers in Ireland', Occupational Medicine, 71(2), pp. 95–98. doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqab012 | en |
dc.identifier.doi | 10.1093/occmed/kqab012 | en |
dc.identifier.eissn | 1471-8405 | |
dc.identifier.endpage | 98 | en |
dc.identifier.issn | 0962-7480 | |
dc.identifier.issued | 2 | en |
dc.identifier.journaltitle | Occupational Medicine | en |
dc.identifier.startpage | 95 | en |
dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10468/11272 | |
dc.identifier.volume | 71 | en |
dc.language.iso | en | en |
dc.publisher | Oxford University Press | en |
dc.rights | © 2021, the Authors. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. | en |
dc.subject | Covid-19 | en |
dc.subject | Healthcare worker | en |
dc.subject | Occupational health | en |
dc.subject | SARS-CoV-2 | en |
dc.subject | Symptoms | en |
dc.title | Covid-19 presentation among symptomatic healthcare workers in Ireland | en |
dc.type | Article (peer-reviewed) | en |
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