COVID-19 Transmission Among Healthcare Workers

Abstract

Abstract Objectives: It is essential to understand how healthcare workers (HCWs) get infected in order to reduce the infection rate among HCWs and minimize nosocomial transmission of COVID-19. This study aimed to investigate work and community exposure to COVID-19 and infection prevention and control (IPC) measures among infected employees. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional survey among infected hospital employees from April 2020 to December 2020 at Regional Hospital West Jutland (RHWJ) Denmark. The study included 163 respondents. Analyses were mainly descriptive. The analyses were stratified by two groups; respondents working in COVID-19 wards and respondents working in general wards. Results: Analyses showed that 70% of infected hospital employees were exposed to COVID-19 patients. Respondents working in COVID-19 wards were more frequently in contact with COVID-19 patients than employees working in general wards. Approximately 15% of the respondents had been in contact with a person with COVID-19 during leisure time. Respondents working in the COVID-19 wards were more adherent to IPC measures during aerosol generating procedures (AGP) than respondents in general wards. Conclusion: Hospital employees most likely acquired their infection during contact with COVID-19 patients. Working in COVID-19 wards, differential IPC training may pose as risk factors associated with COVID-19 transmission.