Characteristics of healthcare workers with COVID-19: A retrospective descriptive study in a quaternary care center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Hala A Amer; Hassan A Abdallah; Haifa S Alkheledan; Nadeem S Gul; Juhaina A Altayieb; Mona Alsalam; Hani Tamim; Saleh A Alqahtani; Barbara M Soule; Ziad A Memish

doi:10.1016/j.amsu.2021.103069

Characteristics of healthcare workers with COVID-19: A retrospective descriptive study in a quaternary care center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2021 Dec:72:103069. doi: 10.1016/j.amsu.2021.103069. Epub 2021 Nov 14.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Prevention and Control of Infection Administration, King Saud Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
² Community Medicine Research Department, National Research Center, Egypt.
³ Biostatistics Unit, Clinical Research Institute, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
⁴ Liver Transplantation Unit, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia & Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA.
⁵ Joint Commission Resources/Joint Commission International, Chicago, IL, USA.
⁶ Research and Innovation Center, King Saud Medical City & College of Medicine, AlFaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia & Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological and clinical presentation of Healthcare Workers (HCWs) affected by COVID-19.

Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted at King Saud Medical City (KSMC), Saudi Arabia (KSA). All KSMC employees who acquired COVID-19 between March 22nd to July 15th, 2020 have been included. Their data has been anonymously analyzed.

Findings: During the study period, among the 12000 HCWs working at KSMC, 9.75% tested positive for COVID-19. The source of HCWs infections was mainly community acquired (85%) which included incidences of transmission in hospital dormitories. Transmission among coworkers was the main source of hospital acquired incidences. Direct patient care was reported in 99.8% of study subjects among the high-risk areas, compared to 3.4% in low-risk areas (p-value <0.001), 12-h shifts were more common in the medium and high-risk areas, and at least one symptom was reported by 93.1% of HCWs in high-risk areas compared to 81.6% in low-risk areas (p-value <0.001).

Conclusion: In KSA, for HCWs, reducing lapses in compliance with masking in non-patient care areas should be considered. In KSA the role that hospital dormitories play in the community transmission of COVID-19 among HCWs need further studies.

Keywords: COVID-19; Healthcare workers; Infection control; Occupational health; Pandemic; Saudi Arabia.