Risk for Severe COVID-19 Illness Among Health Care Workers Who Work Directly with Patients

Excerpt

A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control found that health care workers in the USA accounted for 19% of confirmed COVID-19 cases with information on occupation.¹ At the same time, evidence is mounting that pre-existing conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, as well as older age, are associated with a higher risk of hospitalization, admission to an intensive care unit, and death among those with COVID-19.² Health care workers who have direct contact with patients not only have an increased likelihood of being exposed to COVID-19, but those who are older or who have high-risk comorbidities are at particular risk of adverse COVID-19 outcomes. In the USA, 8.8% of physicians and 3.8% of registered nurses are aged ≥ 65 years.³ The objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence of high-risk comorbidities and older age for five types of health care workers, focusing on those who have direct contact with patients. The study also examines the sociodemographic characteristics of health care workers who are at higher risk for adverse COVID-19 outcomes. …