Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 among healthcare workers in North-Eastern Italy from March 1, 2020 to May 10, 2020 |
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| Authors: | Linda Piapan Elena Mazzolini Marco Tomietto Fabio Barbone Francesca Larese Filon |
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| Institution: | 1. Unità Clinico Operativa di Medicina del Lavoro, Università degli Studi di Trieste, Trieste, Italy;2. Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie and Direzione Centrale Salute, Politiche Sociali e Disabilità, Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy;3. Direzione Centrale Salute, Politiche Sociali e Disabilità, Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy;4. Dipartimento di Area Medica, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, Italy |
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| Abstract: | Background:During major epidemic outbreaks, the preparedness of public health systems is challenged and healthcare workers (HCWs) are at the frontline. Italy was among the first- and worst-hit countries by COVID-19.Aim:To analyze the prevalence and incidence of infection among HCWs in Friuli Venezia Giulia region (north-eastern Italy) from March 1 to the end of the Italian lock-down, May 10, 2020. Methods. HCWs exposed to COVID-19 patients were actively surveyed and all HCWs were routinely tested with nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab for RNA virus detection (n. 54,670).Results:Infected HCWs (n. 595) represented the 32.3% of all COVID-19 cases in the region under 65 years of age, and incidence of infection was 11.4 cases/1000 workers. HCWs accounted for a significant proportion of coronavirus infection and experienced high infection incidence after unprotected contact. Conclusions. HCWs’ knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology and proper infection control practices are critical to the control of the disease. |
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| Keywords: | COVID-19 epidemiology health care workers |
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