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Occupation and SARS-CoV-2 infection risk among 108 960 workers during the first pandemic wave in Germany

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Item Type:Article
Title:Occupation and SARS-CoV-2 infection risk among 108 960 workers during the first pandemic wave in Germany
Creators Name:Reuter, M. and Rigó, M. and Formazin, M. and Liebers, F. and Latza, U. and Castell, S. and Jöckel, K.H. and Greiser, K.H. and Michels, K.B. and Krause, G. and Albrecht, S. and Öztürk, I. and Kuss, O. and Berger, K. and Lampl, B.M.J. and Leitzmann, M. and Zeeb, H. and Starke, K.R. and Schipf, S. and Meinke-Franze, C. and Ahrens, W. and Seidler, A. and Klee, B. and Pischon, T. and Deckert, A. and Schmidt, B. and Mikolajczyk, R. and Karch, A. and Bohn, B. and Brenner, H. and Holleczek, B. and Dragano, N.
Abstract:OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the occupational risk for a SARS-CoV-2 infection in a nationwide sample of German workers during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (1 February-31 August 2020). METHODS: We used the data of 108 960 workers who participated in a COVID follow-up survey of the German National Cohort (NAKO). Occupational characteristics were derived from the German Classification of Occupations 2010 (Klassifikation der Berufe 2010). PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections were assessed from self-reports. Incidence rates (IR) and incidence rate ratios (IRR) were estimated using robust Poisson regression, adjusted for person-time at risk, age, sex, migration background, study center, working hours, and employment relationship. RESULTS: The IR was 3.7 infections per 1000 workers [95% confidence interval (CI) 3.3-4.1]. IR differed by occupational sector, with the highest rates observed in personal (IR 4.8, 95% CI 4.0-5.6) and business administration (IR 3.4, 95% CI 2.8-3.9) services and the lowest rates in occupations related to the production of goods (IR 2.0, 95% CI 1.5-2.6). Infections were more frequent among essential workers compared with workers in non-essential occupations (IRR 1.95, 95% CI 1.59-2.40) and among highly skilled compared with skilled professions (IRR 1.36, 95% CI 1.07-1.72). CONCLUSIONS: The results emphasize higher infection risks in essential occupations and personal-related services, especially in the healthcare sector. Additionally, we found evidence that infections were more common in higher occupational status positions at the beginning of the pandemic.
Keywords:COVID-19, Cohort Study, Infection Risk at Work, ISCO-08, KldB 2010, Workplace
Source:Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment & Health
ISSN:0355-3140
Publisher:Nordic Association of Occupational Safety and Health
Volume:48
Number:9
Page Range:446-456
Date:1 September 2022
Additional Information:Authors Reply: Scand J Work Environ Health 48(7): 588-590
Official Publication:https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.4037
PubMed:View item in PubMed

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