SARS CoV-2 infection in health care workers first wave and second wave characteristics: a retrospective study from a tertiary care center
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20242596Keywords:
COVID-19, Vaccination, SARS-CoV-2, HCWs, Infection controlAbstract
Background: The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a global pandemic that threatens lives and livelihoods. Healthcare workers (HCWs) fight the pandemic. The severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) pandemic has killed many HCWs worldwide.
Methods: The study included all HCWs who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Data collection focused on demographics, job roles, disease presentation, and transmission risks, with statistical analysis performed using SPSS version 21.0 to evaluate infection trends and control efficacy.
Results: The 2020 1st wave infected 93 HCWs and the 2021 second wave 145. The most affected were 25-35, with rates plummeting from 38-29%. Female infections rose 58-66%. Peak months were September to October 2020, April to May 2021. Nursing workers were 36% vulnerable, while technical staff infections jumped from 3% to 11%. COVID hospital staff had more infections in 1st wave, while non-COVID staff had more in second. Direct patient care threatened 36% in 1st wave and 42% in second. ICU infection rates fell from 10% to 6% with air filters. Hospital-acquired infections were 30%. Better personal protective equipment (PPE) management reduced risks from 10-3%.
Conclusions: The study underscores the dynamic nature of the COVID-19 impact on HCWs, highlighting how effective vaccination and stringent infection controls can mitigate risks. Ongoing training in infection control, continuous adaptation of policies based on current data, and maintaining high vaccination rates are essential to protect HCWs in future waves or similar pandemics.
References
World Health Organization. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) technical guidance: Healthcare workers. 2020. Available at: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical-guidance/health-workers. Accessed on 20 August 2024.
Indian Council of Medical Research. Advisory on COVID-19 testing during the second wave of the pandemic. 2021. Available at: https://www.icmr.gov.in/. Accessed on 20 August 2024.
Chatterjee P, Anand T, Singh K, Rasaily R, Singh R, Das S, et al. Healthcare workers and SARS-CoV-2 infection in India: A case-control investigation in the time of COVID-19. Indian J Med Res. 2020;151:459-67.
Gupta R, Dwivedi T, Gajendra S, Sahoo B, Gupta S, Vikas H, et al. Seroprevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare workers & implications of infection control practice in India. Indian J Med Res. 2021;153(1 and 2):207-13.
Sharma P, Chawla R, Bakshi R, Saxena S, Basu S, Bharti P, et al. Seroprevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and predictors of seropositivity among employees of a teaching hospital in New Delhi, India. Osong Public Health Res Perspect. 2021;12(2):88-95.
Wolfisberg S, Gregoriano C, Struja T, Kutz A, Koch D, Bernasconi L, et al. Comparison of characteristics, predictors and outcomes between the first and second COVID-19 waves in a tertiary care centre in Switzerland: an observational analysis. Swiss Med Wkly. 2021;151:w20569.
Diebold M, Martinez A, Adam K, Bassetti S, Osthoff M, Kassi E, et al. Temporal trends of COVID-19 related in-hospital mortality and demographics in Switzerland - a retrospective single centre cohort study. Swiss Med Wkly. 2021;151:w20572.
Singh A, Panigrahi M, Pradhan S, Pal D, Subba S, Patro B, et al. Clinico-Epidemiological Characteristics of Healthcare Workers with SARS-CoV-2 Infection during the First and Second Waves in a Teaching Hospital from Eastern India: A Comparative Analysis. Hosp Top. 2024;102(2):84-5.
Patel S, Khan S, Aggarwal S, Kumar V, Sharma S, Dhillon M. The Increased Burden of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Orthopaedic Trauma Patients: Comparison of Demographics of Both the Waves of the Pandemic-An Indian Tertiary Center Experience. Indian J Orthop. 2021;56(3):479-84.
Lindsey B, Villabona-Arenas C, Campbell F, Keeley A, Parker M, Shah D, et al. Characterising within-hospital SARS-CoV-2 transmission events: a retrospective analysis integrating epidemiological and viral genomic data from a UK tertiary care setting across two pandemic waves. Nat Commun. 2022;13(1):671.
Carazo S, Denis G, Padet L, Deshaies P, Villeneuve J, Paquet-Bolduc B, et al. SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers: the role of occupational and household exposures during the first three pandemic waves in Quebec, Canada. Antimicrob Steward Healthc Epidemiol. 2023;3(1):e180.
Alam ST, Biswas S, Begum S, Pathak M, Roy JS, Baishya P, et al. A retrospective clinico-demographic study of SARS-CoV-2 patients at a tertiary care centre, Assam, North-East India during the second wave of the pandemic. J Clin Experimental Immunol. J Clin Exp Immunol. 2023;8(3):641-8.
Alkharouby R, Aljehani N, Alsubaie N, Alqarni A, Hariri M, Elimam N, et al. The characteristics and follow-up of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pediatric oncology patients. Cureus. 2023;15(9):e46149.
Pérez-Gómez B, Pastor-Barriuso R, Fernández-de-Larrea N, Hernán M, Pérez-Olmeda M, Oteo-Iglesias J, et al. SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first and second pandemic waves in Spain: the ENE-COVID study. Am J Public Health. 2023;113(5):533-44.
Fortin G, Saucier A, Munoz-Bertrand M, Yuan M, Ante Z, Narasiah L, et al. Portrait of Montréal healthcare workers infected with SARS-CoV-2 during the first wave of the pandemic: a cross-sectional study. Can J Public Health. 2023;114(4):534-46.
