Presenteeism Among Health Care Personnel With COVID-19

Presenteeism-defined as continuing to work during an illness-poses a public health risk in the workplace and is especially hazardous within health care institutions where vulnerable patients may be exposed to nosocomial infections. Understanding the frequency and characteristics of health care personnel (HCP) who report presenteeism while ill with COVID-19 may help mitigate SARS-CoV-2 spread in hospitals and other health care institutions.

To determine the frequency of presenteeism among HCP with symptomatic COVID-19, and to evaluate the demographic, occupational, and clinical factors associated with it.

This is an observational cohort study that uses data from the Preventing Emerging Infections Through Vaccine Effectiveness Testing (PREVENT) project: a test-negative, case-control vaccine effectiveness study that enrolled HCP who had COVID-19 symptoms at 24 academic medical centers from December 2020 through April 2024.

Exposures include demographic, occupational, and clinical characteristics of participants.

Having confirmed symptomatic COVID-19 infection and reporting presenteeism; overall frequency of presenteeism through the study period and the association of the exposure characteristics with presenteeism, adjusting for confounders using 3 multivariable models. Presenteeism was defined as HCP who did not stop working during their illness, but the study did not differentiate whether they continued working remotely.

A total of 3721 HCP were included in the analysis (2842 [76.4%] aged 18-49 years; 2993 [80.4%] female; 278 [7.5%] Asian, 406 [10.9%] Black, and 2912 [78.3%] White). Overall, 293 (7.9%) reported presenteeism during the study period, and the frequency of presenteeism increased each year of the study period (from 1 of 73 [1.4%] in 2020 to 16 of 105 [15.2%] in 2024). Presenteeism was associated with HCP who have minimal patient contact (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.73; 95% CI, 2.39-4.37), a graduate or professional degree (aOR, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.45-2.50), and income over $100 000 (aOR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.12-2.69).

In this observational cohort study of 3721 HCP, there was an increasing frequency of presenteeism from 2020 through 2024, and job role and socioeconomic factors were associated. More studies are needed to understand the rationale behind the decision to continue working and the exact causes of presenteeism's rising incidence among HCP with COVID-19.