Infection and Severity of COVID-19 Infection Among Healthcare Workers: A Report from Egypt.

ABSTRACT

Backgrounds & Aim: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by Coronavirus. Knowledge of the fate of infection and risk factors among health care workers is essential to enforce special infection control measures. We aimed to determine the percentage of COVID-19 infection and the associated risk factors as well as the predictors of COVID- 19 among health care workers in Assiut University Hospital. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed that included one hundred health care workers that were confirmed by PCR to be COVID-19 cases admitted to Assiut University Hospital over six months between May 2020 and November 2020. All participants were subjected to thorough history taking and full clinical examination as well as investigations. RESULTS: Out of the 100 HCWs enrolled in the study, 52% were males, 26% were obese, 68% were doctors, and 38% were from the medical department. Fourteen percent of healthcare workers were admitted to ICU, of which 93% were cured. The predictors for severity of cases were as follows being a doctor OR (6.804) P=0.037, old age OR (1.179) P=0.000, and hospital stay OR (0.838) P=0.015. CONCLUSION: Health care workers are at risk for severe COVID-19 infection. Being a doctor, old age, and duration of hospitalization were the predictors for the severity of cases of health care workers.