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Risk Factors for Severe COVID-19 Among Health Care Workers
Lauren F O'Connor1, Gregory R Madden, Derrick Stone
1From the Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia (L.F.O.); Division of Infectious Diseases, UVA Health, Charlottesville, Virginia (G.R.M., J.C.E.); Department of Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia (D.S.); and Division of Clinical Epidemiology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah (D.C.C.).
Insights
A history of blood clots like deep vein thrombosis or stroke significantly increases the risk of severe outcomes from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in healthcare workers.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at increased risk of COVID-19 exposure.
- Identifying risk factors for severe COVID-19 in HCWs is crucial for targeted prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate potential risk factors for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among HCWs.
- To identify predictors of adverse COVID-19 outcomes in a healthcare setting.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of HCWs diagnosed with COVID-19 from March 2020 to March 2021.
- Analysis of medical histories to ascertain risk factors for severe COVID-19 outcomes (emergency department encounter, hospitalization, or death).
Main Results:
- Of 634 HCWs, 9.8% experienced severe COVID-19 outcomes.
- A history of deep vein thrombosis/pulmonary embolism/stroke was associated with a 19.6-fold increased odds of severe outcomes.
- Asthma, chronic lung disease, diabetes, and immunocompromised status also increased the risk.
Conclusions:
- Preexisting deep vein thrombosis/pulmonary embolism/stroke is a novel risk factor for poor COVID-19 outcomes in HCWs.
- These findings highlight the importance of considering thrombotic history in managing COVID-19 risk in healthcare professionals.
Objective:
Evaluate potential risk factors for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among health care workers (HCWs) at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Methods:
We conducted a retrospective manual chart review of data from HCWs who were diagnosed with COVID-19 from March 2020 to March 2021. Using data from patient medical histories, we ascertained risk factors for COVID-19-related emergency department encounter, hospitalization, or death.
Results:
We had 634 patients in total, and 9.8% had a severe COVID-19-related outcome. A history of deep vein thrombosis/pulmonary embolism/stroke (odds ratio, 19.6; 95% confidence interval, 5.11 to 94.7), as well as asthma, chronic lung disease, diabetes, or current immunocompromised status, was associated with increased adjusted odds of COVID-19-related emergency department encounter/hospitalization/death.
Conclusions:
A preexisting history of deep vein thrombosis/pulmonary embolism/stroke is a novel risk factor for poor COVID-19 outcomes among a cohort of HCWs.
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