COVID-19 Deaths in Dental Occupations and Other Healthcare Occupations Among U.S. Decedents in 2020

Details

• Personal Author:
  Alexander T ; Blackley, Brie H. ; Chipps T ; Cox-Ganser, Jean M. ; Fechter-Leggett, Ethan D. ; Panagakos F
• Description:
  Background: Early studies during the COVID-19 pandemic suggested dental occupations were among the highest risk for exposure to SARs-CoV-2 because of multiple factors increasing exposure, including close proximity to unmasked patients and performance of aerosol-generating procedures. However, to date, few studies have investigated COVID-19 deaths in United States dental occupations, and compared COVID-19 deaths among healthcare occupations. Methods: We analyzed 2020 mortality data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics' National Vital Statistics System. Multivariable logistic regression was used to generate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals for COVID-19 as the underlying cause of death in relation to occupation in working-age decedents (≤65 years), after adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, and medical conditions associated with severe COVID-19. Results: Dental occupations did not have significantly higher risk for COVID-19 death when compared to all other occupations combined. Among healthcare occupations with frequent, direct patient- or client interactions, LPNs and LVNs, and speech and language pathologists had significantly elevated adjusted ORs for COVID-19 death when compared to dentists, dental hygienists, or dental assistants. Similarly, nurse practitioners had significantly higher ORs for COVID-19 mortality than dentists or dental hygienists, and approached significance when compared to dental assistants. Conversely, massage therapists and other health diagnosing and treating practitioners had significantly lower adjusted ORs for COVID-19 death compared with dental occupations. Conclusion: Our study highlights potential differences in work-related transmission of SARs-CoV-2 and subsequent COVID-19 deaths in healthcare occupations, and furthers a previously limited understanding of COVID-19 deaths in healthcare occupations in 2020, before COVID-19 vaccine availability. Our results indicate that dental occupations were not among the highest, nor lowest risk, healthcare occupations for COVID-19 deaths in 2020, despite their known risks of direct exposure. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Communicable Diseases Dental Offices Epidemiology Health Personnel Mortality Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: COVID-19 COVID-19 COVID-19 Mortality Dental Occupations Dentistry Dentists Disease Transmission Healthcare Occupations Health Care Workers Mortality Rates SARS-CoV-2

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• ISSN:
  0271-3586
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Philadelphia Region [OSHA] ; San Francisco Region [OSHA] ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  RHD - Respiratory Health Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  67
• Issue:
  10
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070007
• Citation:
  Am J Ind Med 2024 Oct; 67(10):920-932
• Contact Point Address:
  Brie Hawley Blackley, MS, PhD, Respiratory Health Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1000 Frederick Ln, Morgantown, WV 26508, USA
• Email:
  ygd2@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Industrial Medicine
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:80cba846efbdd493175a5470f8156904ff0ba22b0b2e5ba681b5684311d43ad25744f1b268be9018c43ad64b5e8fb02bd648242d95779bd4b4e24fa9142d348a
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/208316/cdc_208316_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 893.46 KB ]