Prevalence and factors associated with COVID-19 among healthcare workers at a university hospital in Thailand
Issued Date
2022-09-23
Resource Type
ISSN
00257974
eISSN
15365964
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85139208558
Pubmed ID
36197236
Journal Title
Medicine (United States)
Volume
101
Issue
38
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Medicine (United States) Vol.101 No.38 (2022) , E30837
Suggested Citation
Sirijatuphat R., Leelarasamee A., Horthongkham N. Prevalence and factors associated with COVID-19 among healthcare workers at a university hospital in Thailand. Medicine (United States) Vol.101 No.38 (2022) , E30837. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000030837 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/85526
Title
Prevalence and factors associated with COVID-19 among healthcare workers at a university hospital in Thailand
Author(s)
Author's Affiliation
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Globally, healthcare workers (HCWs) have a high risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, but less is known about healthcare workers in Thailand. We estimated the prevalence and risk factors for COVID-19 among HCWs in Bangkok, Thailand. A retrospective cohort study was conducted at a large tertiary care academic hospital in Thailand from May 2020 to May 2021. HCWs that presented with fever and/or acute respiratory tract symptoms who tested with RT-PCR were identified, and their clinical data were collected. There were 1432 HCWs with fever and/or acute respiratory tract symptoms during May 2020 and May 2021. A total of 167 patients were front-line HCWs and 1265 were non-front-line HCWs. Sixty HCWs (4.2%) developed COVID-19; 2 were front-line and 58 were non-front-line HCWs. The prevalence of COVID-19 in front-line HCWs was 1.7% (2/167), and 4.6% (58/1265) in non-front-line HCWs (P = .04). In addition, non-front-line HCWs, non-medical staffs, history of contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case at home/family, unvaccinated status, fair compliance to personal protective equipment (PPE) standard, and initial presentation with pneumonia were significantly more common in HCWs with COVID-19 than those without COVID-19 (P < .05). Front-line HCWs, history of contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case at the clinical care areas in the hospital, vaccinated status, good compliance to PPE standards, and initial presentation with upper respiratory infection were significantly more common in HCWs without COVID-19 than those with COVID-19 (P < .05). Multivariate analysis revealed history of exposure with confirmed COVID-19 case at home or in family, unvaccinated status, non-frontline-HCWs, non-medical staffs, and fair compliance to PPE standard to be independent factors associated with COVID-19 in HCWs. COVID-19 was more common in non-front-line HCWs at this tertiary hospital. Thai guidelines on infection prevention and control for COVID-19 seem to be effective in preventing SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Therefore, the adherence to these recommendations should be encouraged.