tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Occup Environ Med
. 2023 Sep 28;oemed-2023-108930.
doi: 10.1136/oemed-2023-108930. Online ahead of print. Occupational differences in the prevalence and severity of long-COVID: analysis of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey
Theocharis Kromydas[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Evangelia Demou[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Rhiannon Edge[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Matthew Gittins[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Srinivasa Vittal Katikireddi[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Neil Pearce[SUP] 5 6 [/SUP], Martie van Tongeren[SUP] 7 8 [/SUP], Jack Wilkinson[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Sarah Rhodes[SUP] 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Objectives: To establish whether prevalence and severity of long-COVID symptoms vary by industry and occupation.
Methods: We used Office for National Statistics COVID-19 Infection Survey (CIS) data (February 2021-April 2022) of working-age participants (16-65 years). Exposures were industry, occupation and major Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) group. Outcomes were self-reported: (1) long-COVID symptoms and (2) reduced function due to long-COVID. Binary (outcome 1) and ordered (outcome 2) logistic regression were used to estimate odds ratios (OR)and prevalence (marginal means).
Results: Public facing industries, including teaching and education, social care, healthcare, civil service, retail and transport industries and occupations, had the highest likelihood of long-COVID. By major SOC group, those in caring, leisure and other services (OR 1.44, 95% CIs 1.38 to 1.52) had substantially elevated odds than average. For almost all exposures, the pattern of ORs for long-COVID symptoms followed SARS-CoV-2 infections, except for professional occupations (eg, some healthcare, education, scientific occupations) (infection: OR<1 ; long-COVID: OR>1). The probability of reporting long-COVID for industry ranged from 7.7% (financial services) to 11.6% (teaching and education); whereas the prevalence of reduced function by 'a lot' ranged from 17.1% (arts, entertainment and recreation) to 22%-23% (teaching and education and armed forces) and to 27% (not working).
Conclusions: The risk and prevalence of long-COVID differs across industries and occupations. Generally, it appears that likelihood of developing long-COVID symptoms follows likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 infection, except for professional occupations. These findings highlight sectors and occupations where further research is needed to understand the occupational factors resulting in long-COVID.
Keywords: COVID-19; Epidemiology; Longitudinal studies; Materials, exposures or occupational groups; Occupational Health.
. 2023 Sep 28;oemed-2023-108930.
doi: 10.1136/oemed-2023-108930. Online ahead of print. Occupational differences in the prevalence and severity of long-COVID: analysis of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey
Theocharis Kromydas[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Evangelia Demou[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Rhiannon Edge[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Matthew Gittins[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Srinivasa Vittal Katikireddi[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Neil Pearce[SUP] 5 6 [/SUP], Martie van Tongeren[SUP] 7 8 [/SUP], Jack Wilkinson[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Sarah Rhodes[SUP] 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 37770179
- DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2023-108930
Objectives: To establish whether prevalence and severity of long-COVID symptoms vary by industry and occupation.
Methods: We used Office for National Statistics COVID-19 Infection Survey (CIS) data (February 2021-April 2022) of working-age participants (16-65 years). Exposures were industry, occupation and major Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) group. Outcomes were self-reported: (1) long-COVID symptoms and (2) reduced function due to long-COVID. Binary (outcome 1) and ordered (outcome 2) logistic regression were used to estimate odds ratios (OR)and prevalence (marginal means).
Results: Public facing industries, including teaching and education, social care, healthcare, civil service, retail and transport industries and occupations, had the highest likelihood of long-COVID. By major SOC group, those in caring, leisure and other services (OR 1.44, 95% CIs 1.38 to 1.52) had substantially elevated odds than average. For almost all exposures, the pattern of ORs for long-COVID symptoms followed SARS-CoV-2 infections, except for professional occupations (eg, some healthcare, education, scientific occupations) (infection: OR<1 ; long-COVID: OR>1). The probability of reporting long-COVID for industry ranged from 7.7% (financial services) to 11.6% (teaching and education); whereas the prevalence of reduced function by 'a lot' ranged from 17.1% (arts, entertainment and recreation) to 22%-23% (teaching and education and armed forces) and to 27% (not working).
Conclusions: The risk and prevalence of long-COVID differs across industries and occupations. Generally, it appears that likelihood of developing long-COVID symptoms follows likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 infection, except for professional occupations. These findings highlight sectors and occupations where further research is needed to understand the occupational factors resulting in long-COVID.
Keywords: COVID-19; Epidemiology; Longitudinal studies; Materials, exposures or occupational groups; Occupational Health.