TY - JOUR
T1 - Occupational risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection
T2 - a nationwide register-based study of the Danish workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020-2021
AU - Bonde, Jens Peter Ellekilde
AU - Begtrup, Luise Moelenberg
AU - Jensen, Johan Høy
AU - Flachs, Esben Meulengracht
AU - Schlünssen, Vivi
AU - Kolstad, Henrik A.
AU - Jakobsson, Kristina
AU - Nielsen, Christel
AU - Nilsson, Kerstin
AU - Rylander, Lars
AU - Vilhelmsson, Andreas
AU - Petersen, Kajsa Kirstine Ugelvig
AU - Soegaard Toettenborg, Sandra
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.
PY - 2023/4
Y1 - 2023/4
N2 - OBJECTIVE: Most earlier studies on occupational risk of COVID-19 covering the entire workforce are based on relatively rare outcomes such as hospital admission and mortality. This study examines the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection by occupational group based on real-time PCR (RT-PCR) tests. METHODS: The cohort includes 2.4 million Danish employees, 20-69 years of age. All data were retrieved from public registries. The incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of first-occurring positive RT-PCR test from week 8 of 2020 to week 50 of 2021 were computed by Poisson regression for each four-digit Danish Version of the International Standard Classification of Occupations job code with more than 100 male and 100 female employees (n=205). Occupational groups with low risk of workplace infection according to a job exposure matrix constituted the reference group. Risk estimates were adjusted by demographic, social and health characteristics including household size, completed COVID-19 vaccination, pandemic wave and occupation-specific frequency of testing. RESULTS: IRRs of SARS-CoV-2 infection were elevated in seven healthcare occupations and 42 occupations in other sectors, mainly social work activities, residential care, education, defence and security, accommodation and transportation. No IRRs exceeded 2.0. The relative risk in healthcare, residential care and defence/security declined across pandemic waves. Decreased IRRs were observed in 12 occupations. DISCUSSION: We observed a modestly increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection among employees in numerous occupations, indicating a large potential for preventive actions. Cautious interpretation of observed risk in specific occupations is needed because of methodological issues inherent in analyses of RT-PCR test results and because of multiple statistical tests.
AB - OBJECTIVE: Most earlier studies on occupational risk of COVID-19 covering the entire workforce are based on relatively rare outcomes such as hospital admission and mortality. This study examines the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection by occupational group based on real-time PCR (RT-PCR) tests. METHODS: The cohort includes 2.4 million Danish employees, 20-69 years of age. All data were retrieved from public registries. The incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of first-occurring positive RT-PCR test from week 8 of 2020 to week 50 of 2021 were computed by Poisson regression for each four-digit Danish Version of the International Standard Classification of Occupations job code with more than 100 male and 100 female employees (n=205). Occupational groups with low risk of workplace infection according to a job exposure matrix constituted the reference group. Risk estimates were adjusted by demographic, social and health characteristics including household size, completed COVID-19 vaccination, pandemic wave and occupation-specific frequency of testing. RESULTS: IRRs of SARS-CoV-2 infection were elevated in seven healthcare occupations and 42 occupations in other sectors, mainly social work activities, residential care, education, defence and security, accommodation and transportation. No IRRs exceeded 2.0. The relative risk in healthcare, residential care and defence/security declined across pandemic waves. Decreased IRRs were observed in 12 occupations. DISCUSSION: We observed a modestly increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection among employees in numerous occupations, indicating a large potential for preventive actions. Cautious interpretation of observed risk in specific occupations is needed because of methodological issues inherent in analyses of RT-PCR test results and because of multiple statistical tests.
KW - epidemiology
KW - occupational health
KW - viruses
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85150311258&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1136/oemed-2022-108713
DO - 10.1136/oemed-2022-108713
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 36813540
AN - SCOPUS:85150311258
SN - 1351-0711
VL - 80
SP - 202
EP - 208
JO - Occupational & Environmental Medicine
JF - Occupational & Environmental Medicine
IS - 4
ER -