Characteristics and transmission dynamics of COVID-19 in healthcare workers in a tertiary teaching hospital


Mahvish Qazi, Najmus Saqib, Shivang Singh

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) transmission significantly affected Healthcare workers (HCWs) worldwide. As a result, they have paid a heavy toll to the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the literature on its transmission routes and risk factors in HCWs is limited.

The aim. The authors seek to characterize and know the transmission dynamics of COVID-19 infection in the HCWs of our hospital.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted by the authors. Staff records and virology testing results were used to identify SARS-CoV-2 positive HCWs and study the demographic characteristics and transmission dynamics over one and a half years. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 23.

Results: A total of 169 healthcare workers were positive for SARS-CoV-2. 6 doctors were positive from non-clinical branches, and 17 were positive from clinical branches. One health worker also died of cardio-pulmonary compromise. 88.2 % of healthcare workers got infected while managing patient’s positive for COVID-19. The most frequent clinical manifestation was myalgias in 90.53 % of health workers, followed by arthralgia in 86.98 %. The least common symptoms were loss of taste/smell followed by radiographic changes, and only 19 (11.24 %) presented with shortness of breath. 79.88 % have taken self-medication to relieve COVID symptoms. Maximum number of health workers got infected from July to September.

Conclusions: Universal masking, reinforcement of hand hygiene, PPE kits with medical masks, appropriate infection control measures and testing of both clinical and non-clinical staff were essential measures for reducing transmission amongst HCWs

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How to cite paper:

Qazi, M, , Saqib, N, , Singh, S, (2022). Characteristics and transmission dynamics of COVID-19 in healthcare workers in a tertiary teaching hospital. EUREKA: Health Sciences, 4, 26-31. doi:https://doi.org/10.21303/2504-5679.2022.002549