Occupational risk of COVID-19 related hospital admission in Denmark 2020–2021 : a follow-up study
(2023) In Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health 49(1). p.84-94- Abstract
- Objective: Mounting evidence indicates increased risk of COVID-19 among healthcare personnel, but the evidence on risks in other occupations is limited. In this study, we quantify the occupational risk of COVID-19-related hospital admission in Denmark during 2020-2021.
Methods: The source population included 2.4 million employees age 20-69 years. All information was retrieved from public registers. The risk of COVID-19 related hospital admission was examined in 155 occupations with at least 2000 employees (at-risk, N=1 620 231) referenced to a group of mainly office workers defined by a COVID-19 job exposure matrix (N=369 341). Incidence rate ratios (IRR) were computed by Poisson regression.
Results: During 186 million... (More) - Objective: Mounting evidence indicates increased risk of COVID-19 among healthcare personnel, but the evidence on risks in other occupations is limited. In this study, we quantify the occupational risk of COVID-19-related hospital admission in Denmark during 2020-2021.
Methods: The source population included 2.4 million employees age 20-69 years. All information was retrieved from public registers. The risk of COVID-19 related hospital admission was examined in 155 occupations with at least 2000 employees (at-risk, N=1 620 231) referenced to a group of mainly office workers defined by a COVID-19 job exposure matrix (N=369 341). Incidence rate ratios (IRR) were computed by Poisson regression.
Results: During 186 million person-weeks of follow-up, we observed 2944 COVID-19 related hospital admissions in at-risk occupations and 559 in referents. Adjusted risk of such admission was elevated in several occupations within healthcare (including health care assistants, nurses, medical practitioners and laboratory technicians but not physiotherapists or midwives), social care (daycare assistants for children aged 4-7, and nursing aides in institutions and private homes, but not family daycare workers) and transportation (bus drivers, but not lorry drivers). Most IRR in these at-risk occupations were in the range of 1.5-3. Employees in education, retail sales and various service occupations seemed not to be at risk.
Conclusion: Employees in several occupations within and outside healthcare are at substantially increased risk of COVID-19. There is a need to revisit safety measures and precautions to mitigate viral transmission in the workplace during the current and forthcoming pandemics. (Less)
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https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/83e698cd-a2e3-4d41-803f-30d9b48082db
- author
- Bonde, Jens Peter Ellekilde
; Sell, Lea
; Meulengracht Flachs, Esben
; Coggon, David
; Albin, Maria
; Oude Hengel, Karen Marieke
; Kolstad, Henrik
; Sivesind Mehlum, Ingrid
; Schlunssen, Vivi
; Solovieva, Svetlana
; Torén, Kjell
; Jakobsson, Kristina
; Nielsen, Christel
LU
; Nilsson, Kerstin
LU
; Rylander, Lars
LU
; Petersen, Kajsa Ugelvig
and Töttenborg, Sandra Sögaard
(Less) - organization
- publishing date
- 2023
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- cohort study, epidemiology, healthcare, industry, ISCO-08, job, NACE, pandemic, SARS-CoV-2
- in
- Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health
- volume
- 49
- issue
- 1
- pages
- 11 pages
- publisher
- Finnish Institute of Occupational Health
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85145242085
- pmid:36228167
- ISSN
- 0355-3140
- DOI
- 10.5271/sjweh.4063
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 83e698cd-a2e3-4d41-803f-30d9b48082db
- date added to LUP
- 2022-10-24 09:25:11
- date last changed
- 2024-05-16 18:44:45
@article{83e698cd-a2e3-4d41-803f-30d9b48082db,
abstract = {{Objective: Mounting evidence indicates increased risk of COVID-19 among healthcare personnel, but the evidence on risks in other occupations is limited. In this study, we quantify the occupational risk of COVID-19-related hospital admission in Denmark during 2020-2021.<br/><br/>Methods: The source population included 2.4 million employees age 20-69 years. All information was retrieved from public registers. The risk of COVID-19 related hospital admission was examined in 155 occupations with at least 2000 employees (at-risk, N=1 620 231) referenced to a group of mainly office workers defined by a COVID-19 job exposure matrix (N=369 341). Incidence rate ratios (IRR) were computed by Poisson regression.<br/><br/>Results: During 186 million person-weeks of follow-up, we observed 2944 COVID-19 related hospital admissions in at-risk occupations and 559 in referents. Adjusted risk of such admission was elevated in several occupations within healthcare (including health care assistants, nurses, medical practitioners and laboratory technicians but not physiotherapists or midwives), social care (daycare assistants for children aged 4-7, and nursing aides in institutions and private homes, but not family daycare workers) and transportation (bus drivers, but not lorry drivers). Most IRR in these at-risk occupations were in the range of 1.5-3. Employees in education, retail sales and various service occupations seemed not to be at risk.<br/><br/>Conclusion: Employees in several occupations within and outside healthcare are at substantially increased risk of COVID-19. There is a need to revisit safety measures and precautions to mitigate viral transmission in the workplace during the current and forthcoming pandemics.}},
author = {{Bonde, Jens Peter Ellekilde and Sell, Lea and Meulengracht Flachs, Esben and Coggon, David and Albin, Maria and Oude Hengel, Karen Marieke and Kolstad, Henrik and Sivesind Mehlum, Ingrid and Schlunssen, Vivi and Solovieva, Svetlana and Torén, Kjell and Jakobsson, Kristina and Nielsen, Christel and Nilsson, Kerstin and Rylander, Lars and Petersen, Kajsa Ugelvig and Töttenborg, Sandra Sögaard}},
issn = {{0355-3140}},
keywords = {{cohort study; epidemiology; healthcare; industry; ISCO-08; job; NACE; pandemic; SARS-CoV-2}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
pages = {{84--94}},
publisher = {{Finnish Institute of Occupational Health}},
series = {{Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health}},
title = {{Occupational risk of COVID-19 related hospital admission in Denmark 2020–2021 : a follow-up study}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.4063}},
doi = {{10.5271/sjweh.4063}},
volume = {{49}},
year = {{2023}},
}