Reported exposures among in-person workers with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in 6 states, September 2020-June 2021.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Argueta G ; Armenti K ; Billock RM ; Burrer S ; Crawford H-L ; Cummings, Kristin J. ; Dang G ; Erukunuapor K ; Free H ; Gaetz K ; Gibb K ; Groenewold MR ; Harduar-Morano L ; Karlsson ND ; Lavender A ; Luckhaupt SE ; Modji K ; Rodriguez A ; Sweeney, Marie H. ; Thomas H ; Vergara XP ; Wong J
• Description:
  Background: Surveillance systems lack detailed occupational exposure information from workers with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health partnered with six states to collect information from adults diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection (either COVID-19 or asymptomatic infection) who worked in person (outside the home) in non-healthcare settings during the two weeks prior to illness onset. Methods: The survey captured demographic, medical, occupational characteristics, and work- and non-work-related risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Reported close contact with a person known or suspected to have COVID-19 was categorized by setting as: exposure at work, exposure outside of work only, or no known exposure/didn't know if they had exposures. Frequencies and percentages of exposure types are compared by respondent characteristics and risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results: Of 1,111 qualified respondents, 19.4% reported exposure at work, 23.4% reported exposure outside of work only, and 57.2% reported no known exposure/didn't know if they had exposures. Workers in protective service occupations (48.8%) and public administration industries (35.6%) reported exposure at work most often. Over a third (33.7%) of respondents who experienced close contact with ≥ 10 coworkers per day and 28.8% of respondents who experienced close contact with ≥ 10 customers/clients per day reported exposures at work. Conclusions: Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 at work was common among respondents. Examining differences in exposures among different groups of workers can help identify populations with the greatest need for prevention interventions. The benefits of recording employment characteristics as standard demographic information will remain relevant as new and reemerging public health issues occur. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Communicable Diseases Epidemiology Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Safety Surveys And Questionnaires
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Occupational Exposure; COVID-19 Surveillance; SARS-CoV-2 Infection Surveillance; Occupational Exposure; COVID-19; Coronavirus; SARS-CoV-2; Infection Control; Infectious Diseases; Epidemiology; Health Surveys; Occupations; Exposure Assessment;
• ISSN:
  1058-4838
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Colorado ; Georgia ; New Hampshire ; North Carolina ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 8 ; OSHA Region 9 ; Pennsylvania ; Wisconsin
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering ; EPRO - Emergency Preparedness and Response Office ; WSD - Western States Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  75
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20065540
• Citation:
  Clin Infect Dis 2022 Oct; 75(Suppl 2):S216-S224
• Contact Point Address:
  Hannah Free, MPH, Division of Field Studies and Engineering, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1090 Tusculum Ave. Mailstop R17 Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA
• Email:
  hfree@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2023
• Performing Organization:
  North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20150701
• Source Full Name:
  Clinical Infectious Diseases
• Supplement:
  2
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:e8ca5433116f9c96bff1f4d2c5e36b11932759b3efaaf79ddae1443e3ccd9c97a06083dd4a27a39242e51506e7c73ba074570e476f942e5bd90e724661873833
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/249468/cdc_249468_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 271.33 KB ]