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COVID-19 in people aged 18–64 in Sweden in the first year of the pandemic : Key factors for severe disease and death

Rosengren, Annika ; Söderberg, Mia ; Lundberg, Christina E. ; Lindgren, Martin ; Santosa, Ailiana ; Edqvist, Jon ; Åberg, Maria ; Gisslén, Magnus ; Robertson, Josefina and Cronie, Ottmar LU , et al. (2022) In Global Epidemiology 4.
Abstract

Background: Studies on risk factors for severe COVID-19 in people of working age have generally not included non-working persons or established population attributable fractions (PAFs) for occupational and other factors. Objectives: We describe the effect of job-related, sociodemographic, and other exposures on the incidence, relative risks and PAFs of severe COVID-19 in individuals aged 18–64. Methods: We conducted a registry-based study in Swedish citizens aged 18–64 from 1 January 2020 to 1 February 2021 with respect to COVID-19-related hospitalizations and death. Results: Of 6,205,459 persons, 272,043 (7.5%) were registered as infected, 3399 (0.05%) needed intensive care, and 620 (0.01%) died, with an estimated case fatality rate of... (More)

Background: Studies on risk factors for severe COVID-19 in people of working age have generally not included non-working persons or established population attributable fractions (PAFs) for occupational and other factors. Objectives: We describe the effect of job-related, sociodemographic, and other exposures on the incidence, relative risks and PAFs of severe COVID-19 in individuals aged 18–64. Methods: We conducted a registry-based study in Swedish citizens aged 18–64 from 1 January 2020 to 1 February 2021 with respect to COVID-19-related hospitalizations and death. Results: Of 6,205,459 persons, 272,043 (7.5%) were registered as infected, 3399 (0.05%) needed intensive care, and 620 (0.01%) died, with an estimated case fatality rate of 0.06% over the last 4-month period when testing was adequate. Non-Nordic origin was associated with a RR for need of intensive care of 3·13, 95%CI 2·91–3·36, and a PAF of 32·2% after adjustment for age, sex, work, region and comorbidities. In a second model with occupation as main exposure, and adjusted for age, sex, region, comorbidities and origin, essential workers had an RR of 1·51, 95%CI, 1·35–1·6, blue-collar workers 1·18, 95%CI 1·06–1·31, school staff 1·21, 95%CI 1·01–1·46, and health and social care workers 1·89, 95%CI 1·67–2·135) compared with people able to work from home, with altogether about 13% of the PAF associated with these occupations. Essential workers and blue-collar workers, but no other job categories had higher risk of death, adjusted RRs of 1·79, 95%CI 1·34–2·38 and 1·37, 95%CI 1·04–1·81, with adjusted PAFs of altogether 9%. Conclusion: Among people of working age in Sweden, overall mortality and case fatality were low. Occupations that require physical presence at work were associated with elevated risk of needing intensive care for COVID-19, with 14% cases attributable to this factor, and 9% of deaths.

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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Comorbidity, COVID-19, Intensive care, Mortality, Occupation, Population study
in
Global Epidemiology
volume
4
article number
100095
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85144921840
  • pmid:36447481
ISSN
2590-1133
DOI
10.1016/j.gloepi.2022.100095
project
AIR Lund - Artificially Intelligent use of Registers
Improved preparedness for future pandemics and other health crises through large-scale disease surveillance
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Funding Information: This work was supported by grants from the Swedish state under an agreement concerning research and education of doctors [ALFGBG-966211 (AR), ALFGBG-965885 (MG)]; the Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation [ 2021-0345 ]; the Swedish Research Council [ 2018-02527 (AR), 2020-05792 (AR), 2021-06525 (AR), 2021-06545 (MG), VRREG 2019-00193 (AR), 2019-00198 (JB), 2019-00245 (MB), 2019-00209 (JL)]; Science for Life Laboratory from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation ( 2020.0241 ) (MG), and the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare [ 2021-00304 (MÅ), 2021-00326 (MS)]. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors
id
9165b9d6-651d-4f04-a80c-b033441f68c6
date added to LUP
2023-01-05 11:20:02
date last changed
2024-06-28 00:09:00
@article{9165b9d6-651d-4f04-a80c-b033441f68c6,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Studies on risk factors for severe COVID-19 in people of working age have generally not included non-working persons or established population attributable fractions (PAFs) for occupational and other factors. Objectives: We describe the effect of job-related, sociodemographic, and other exposures on the incidence, relative risks and PAFs of severe COVID-19 in individuals aged 18–64. Methods: We conducted a registry-based study in Swedish citizens aged 18–64 from 1 January 2020 to 1 February 2021 with respect to COVID-19-related hospitalizations and death. Results: Of 6,205,459 persons, 272,043 (7.5%) were registered as infected, 3399 (0.05%) needed intensive care, and 620 (0.01%) died, with an estimated case fatality rate of 0.06% over the last 4-month period when testing was adequate. Non-Nordic origin was associated with a RR for need of intensive care of 3·13, 95%CI 2·91–3·36, and a PAF of 32·2% after adjustment for age, sex, work, region and comorbidities. In a second model with occupation as main exposure, and adjusted for age, sex, region, comorbidities and origin, essential workers had an RR of 1·51, 95%CI, 1·35–1·6, blue-collar workers 1·18, 95%CI 1·06–1·31, school staff 1·21, 95%CI 1·01–1·46, and health and social care workers 1·89, 95%CI 1·67–2·135) compared with people able to work from home, with altogether about 13% of the PAF associated with these occupations. Essential workers and blue-collar workers, but no other job categories had higher risk of death, adjusted RRs of 1·79, 95%CI 1·34–2·38 and 1·37, 95%CI 1·04–1·81, with adjusted PAFs of altogether 9%. Conclusion: Among people of working age in Sweden, overall mortality and case fatality were low. Occupations that require physical presence at work were associated with elevated risk of needing intensive care for COVID-19, with 14% cases attributable to this factor, and 9% of deaths.</p>}},
  author       = {{Rosengren, Annika and Söderberg, Mia and Lundberg, Christina E. and Lindgren, Martin and Santosa, Ailiana and Edqvist, Jon and Åberg, Maria and Gisslén, Magnus and Robertson, Josefina and Cronie, Ottmar and Sattar, Naveed and Lagergren, Jesper and Brandén, Maria and Björk, Jonas and Adiels, Martin}},
  issn         = {{2590-1133}},
  keywords     = {{Comorbidity; COVID-19; Intensive care; Mortality; Occupation; Population study}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Global Epidemiology}},
  title        = {{COVID-19 in people aged 18–64 in Sweden in the first year of the pandemic : Key factors for severe disease and death}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gloepi.2022.100095}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.gloepi.2022.100095}},
  volume       = {{4}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}