Mohan Yogesh, Charumathi B, Anantha Eashwar V M, Jain Timsi, Abiramasundari V K
Department of Community Medicine, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Department of Community Medicine, Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Int J Prev Med. 2022 Aug 8;13:108. doi: 10.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_687_20. eCollection 2022.
Data for COVID-19 incidence and the source of infection among health care workers (HCWs) in Indian population are limited. The main objective of the study was to assess the incidence of COVID-19 infection and identify the source of infection among the HCWs in a tertiary teaching hospital.
A prospective cohort study was conducted among the 2134 HCWs recruited by purposive sampling from a tertiary teaching hospital from May to August 2020 (4-month period-123 days). Over the 4-month period, all the HCWs who had symptoms or those were close contacts of COVID positive patients were traced and tested using validated COVID diagnostic test (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR] test). A semi-structured questionnaire was used to interview each positive HCW to identify the source of exposure of the infection.
Incidence proportion was 9.3% among HCWs and was two times higher among males compared to females. Hazard ratio was found to be higher among males and HCWs working in the non-COVID areas. Test positivity rate was found to highest (around 57.8%) among those aged less than 30 years. The most common source of infection was infected HCW colleagues (40.9%) followed by exposure to patients in non-COVID areas (27.3%). Only 5.1% of total infection was found in HCWs who had worked in COVID zones.
People working in non-COVID areas, those using shared workplace, dining halls, and staff hostels, must follow strict COVID protocols by using appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and following social distancing measures.
关于印度人群中医疗工作者（HCW）的新冠病毒感染发病率及感染源的数据有限。本研究的主要目的是评估一家三级教学医院中医疗工作者的新冠病毒感染发病率，并确定感染源。
2020年5月至8月（为期4个月，共123天），从一家三级教学医院通过目的抽样招募了2134名医疗工作者，进行前瞻性队列研究。在这4个月期间，对所有出现症状的医疗工作者或新冠病毒阳性患者的密切接触者进行追踪，并使用经过验证的新冠病毒诊断检测（逆转录-聚合酶链反应[RT-PCR]检测）进行检测。使用半结构化问卷对每位阳性医疗工作者进行访谈，以确定感染的暴露源。
医疗工作者中的发病率为9.3%，男性发病率是女性的两倍。男性和在非新冠病区工作的医疗工作者的风险比更高。30岁以下人群的检测阳性率最高（约57.8%）。最常见的感染源是受感染的医疗工作者同事（40.9%），其次是在非新冠病区接触患者（27.3%）。在曾在新冠病区工作的医疗工作者中，仅发现5.1%的感染病例。
在非新冠病区工作的人员，以及使用共享工作场所、食堂和员工宿舍的人员，必须通过使用适当的个人防护装备（PPE）并遵循社交距离措施，严格遵守新冠病毒防控规程。
