Presenteeism Among Health Care Personnel With COVID-19.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Presenteeism, defined as working while ill, poses significant public health risks, particularly in healthcare settings where vulnerable patients are at risk of nosocomial infections.
• Understanding presenteeism among healthcare personnel (HCP) during the COVID-19 pandemic is crucial for mitigating SARS-CoV-2 transmission in hospitals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the frequency of presenteeism among HCP experiencing symptomatic COVID-19.
• To identify demographic, occupational, and clinical factors associated with presenteeism in this population.

Main Methods:

• An observational cohort study utilized data from the Preventing Emerging Infections Through Vaccine Effectiveness Testing (PREVENT) project.
• The study included HCP with COVID-19 symptoms across 24 academic medical centers from December 2020 to April 2024.
• Presenteeism was defined as continuing to work during illness, with analyses adjusting for confounders using multivariable models.

Main Results:

• A total of 3721 HCP were analyzed, with 7.9% reporting presenteeism.
• The frequency of presenteeism among HCP with COVID-19 significantly increased from 1.4% in 2020 to 15.2% in 2024.
• Presenteeism was associated with minimal patient contact (aOR, 3.73), higher education (aOR, 1.90), and income over $100,000 (aOR, 1.74).

Conclusions:

• This study observed a rising incidence of presenteeism among HCP with COVID-19 between 2020 and 2024.
• Job role and socioeconomic factors were significantly associated with presenteeism.
• Further research is needed to understand the underlying reasons for working while ill and the increasing trend of presenteeism among HCP.