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Prevalence of breakthrough COVID-19 infection among healthcare workers in Baghdad
Alaa Ali Salih1, Mayasah Abdulelaah Sadiq1, Waleed Arif Tawfeeq Al-Ani1
1Department of Family and Community Medicine, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq.
Insights
Most healthcare workers experienced breakthrough coronavirus disease-2019 infections post-vaccination. Adherence to preventive measures, like mask-wearing, significantly decreased after receiving the second vaccine dose.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Healthcare workers are at high risk of exposure to infectious diseases, including coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).
- Vaccination is a critical tool in controlling the pandemic, but breakthrough infections can occur.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and severity of COVID-19 breakthrough infections among healthcare workers.
- To assess adherence to preventive guidelines among vaccinated healthcare workers.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2021 to March 2022 in Baghdad, Iraq.
- 506 healthcare workers (physicians, pharmacists, dentists, paramedical staff) were included, categorized by vaccination and infection status.
- Data analysis utilized SPSS 28.
Main Results:
- All 506 participants experienced COVID-19 infection after vaccination (85% after the second dose).
- Most infections were mild to moderate (88.6%), with 4.1% requiring admission.
- Mask-wearing adherence dropped from 45.3% pre-vaccination to 23.7% after the second dose.
Conclusions:
- The study highlights a high incidence of COVID-19 breakthrough infections in vaccinated healthcare workers.
- A significant reduction in adherence to preventive guidelines was observed post-vaccination, particularly after the second dose.
Objective:
To determine the prevalence and severity of breakthrough coronavirus disease-2019 infection among health workers, and to assess health workers' post-vaccination adherence to preventive guidelines.
Methods:
The cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2021 to March 2022 at 2 major hospitals in Baghdad, Iraq, and comprised physicians, pharmacists, dentists and paramedical staff present at time of data collection. The participants were classified according to vaccination status with history of infection. Unvaccinated meant infected before vaccination; partially vaccinated meant infected after the first dose; and fully vaccinated meant breakthrough infection after the second dose. Data was analysed using SPSS 28.
Results:
Of the 506 participants aged 20-59 years, 327(64.6%) were females, 247(48.8%) were physicians, 72(14.2%) were smokers, and 21(4.1%) had asthma. All the 506(100%) participants had been infected after vaccination; 430(85%) after the second dose, and 76(15%) after the first dose. In 445(88.6%) cases, the infection was mild to moderate, while admission was required in 21(4.1%). With respect to adherence to preventive guidelines, 229(45.3%) subjects were always wearing masks before the vaccination, but 119(23.7%) continued doing that after receiving the second dose of the vaccine.
Conclusions:
The majority of the participants had fallen victim to breakthrough coronavirus disease-2019 infection. Adherence to preventive guidelines was found to be reduced after the second dose of the vaccination.
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