Covid-19 Across Professions-Infection, Hospitalization, and Intensive Care Unit Patterns in a Swedish County.

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Occupational Health
• Public Health

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic presented significant public health challenges.
• Understanding occupational risks is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and intensive care unit (ICU) admission rates across different occupations.
• To analyze these outcomes in relation to distinct pandemic waves.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study design utilizing individual registry data.
• Merging infection and hospitalization data with occupational information.
• Analyzing COVID-19 outcomes by occupational groups.

Main Results:

• Identified 22,095 COVID-19 cases between February 2020 and August 2022.
• Healthcare workers and those in close proximity experienced higher infection rates across all waves.
• Close-contact roles showed increased hospitalization risk, particularly during the early pandemic.

Conclusions:

• Close-contact occupations consistently faced elevated COVID-19 infection rates.
• Higher hospitalization rates were observed in the initial pandemic wave for these groups.
• Emphasizes the necessity for enhanced safety protocols in high-exposure occupations for future pandemics.