Authors

Héctor Sánchez-Herrero1,a, Dolors Montserrat-Capella2, Manuel Revuelta-Zamorano3,a, Almudena Santano-Magariño4,a, Mª Luisa Rodríguez-de la Pinta5, Julio García-Pondal6, Montserrat Solís Muñoz7,a

Position

1Máster en Epidemiología y Salud Pública. Subdirección General de Información Sanitaria. Ministerio de Sanidad. Madrid (España)2Doctora en Ciencias de la Salud. Unidad de Calidad HUPHM. Majadahonda, Madrid (España)3Máster en Investigación en Cuidados. Formación Continuada. HUPHM. Majadahonda, Madrid (España)4Máster en Dirección y Gestión de Servicios Sanitarios. Dirección de Enfermería HUPHM. Madrid (España)5Doctora en Ciencias de la Salud. Servicio de Prevención de Riesgos Laborales, HUPHM. Majadahonda, Madrid (España)6Dirección Gerencia, HUPHM. Majadahonda, Madrid (España)7Doctora en Cuidados en Salud. Unidad de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación en Cuidados de Salud HUPHM. Madrid (España)aGrupo de Investigación en Enfermería y Cuidados de Salud. Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Puerta de Hierro-Segovia de Arana (IDIPHISA). Madrid (España)

Contact address

Héctor Sánchez Herrero. Grupo de Investigación en Enfermería y Cuidados de Salud. Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Puerta de Hierro-Segovia de Ara

Contact email: hsanchezh@sanidad.gob.es

Abstract

Objective: to understand the sociodemographic and occupational characteristics and risk exposure among workers of a university hospital who presented COVID-19 symptoms during the first wave of the pandemic.
Methods: a cross-sectional study (July to September 2020), on staff from the Hospital Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda (Madrid, Spain) who were working during the first wave of the pandemic. An ad hoc survey was designed, which included the worker profile, COVID-19 symptoms, exposure, clinical course, and healthcare, among others. Descriptive analysis was conducted, and Chi-square and Student’s t-test were used for statistical hypothesis testing.
Results: the study included 992 subjects; 34.3% (n= 340) presented COVID-19 symptoms; 283 (84.0%) were female; 82.9% (n= 282) of them were healthcare staff; 36.8% (n= 125) were nurses; 63.5% (n= 216) worked at high risk units; 36.2% (n= 123) had a previous medical condition. Of the participants, 83.3% (n= 194) admitted having worked previously at high risk units; 84.5% (n= 229) stated that they have felt exposed to the infection during work; 49.7% (n= 98) had some incidence of risk; and 73.7% (n= 202) presented asthenia. There was a higher prevalence of healthcare staff with COVID symptoms vs. non-healthcare staff, based on care activities (92.9% vs. 50.0%; p< 0.001), work at COVID areas (74.2% vs. 48.1%; p< 0.001), and activity in high risk Units (73.4% vs. 15.5%; p< 0.001).
Conclusions: among the workers with COVID symptoms, there was a higher proportion of healthcare staff, women, nurses, workers at COVID areas, risk units, and previous exposure to patients with confirmed or suspected infection. Differences between healthcare and non-healthcare staff were determined by their place of work during the pandemic and their risk of exposure to COVID-19.

Keywords:

signs and symptoms; COVID-19; health personnel; epidemiology; hospitals

Versión en Español

Título:

Características clínicas y laborales de los trabajadores de un hospital universitario con signos y síntomas de COVID-19 durante la pandemia