Post-COVID symptoms and work status 18 months following work-related COVID-19

A proportion of the working population sustained COVID-19 infections due to exposures at work, but the association between persistent post-COVID symptoms and work status is unknown.

To describe symptoms associated with work-related COVID-19 infections, 18 months post-infection, and examine the relationship between symptoms and working status.

Survey data was collected from 605 respondents with accepted workers' compensation claims in Ontario, Canada, for COVID-19 infections, 18 months after their infection. Information collected included COVID-19 symptoms in the last 4 weeks, current work status and several potential confounders. Symptom clusters were created using latent class analysis, and multinomial logistic regression examined the relationship between symptom clusters and work status.

Four symptom clusters were identified: no symptoms (n = 349, 59%); high burden of constitutional symptoms with moderate burden of neuropsychiatric and respiratory symptoms (n = 97, 16%); low burden of constitutional symptoms with moderate burden of neuropsychiatric and respiratory symptoms (n = 100, 17%); and high burden across all symptom domains (n = 51, 9%). Compared to respondents with no symptoms, those in the high burden group across all symptoms were more likely to be not working at 18 months post-infection (OR = 4.27, 95% CI 1.77-10.29).

For a proportion of workers, COVID-19 symptoms persist following a work-related infection. Managing work disability among those with high constitutional symptoms represents an important strategy to support return-to-work.