Health staff Covid risk revealed

COVID- 19 hospital admissions for working- age adults are particularly high among healthcare staff and their families, a new study has found.

They accounted for a sixth of admissions among those aged 18 to 65.

Although hospital admissions were low in this age group, the research authors said the risk for healthcare workers and their families is higher compared with other working- age adults.

Scientists from the University of Glasgow and Public Health Scotland found the risk is higher for those with “front door” roles – such as paramedics and A& E medics.

The new study, published in the BMJ, set out to assess the risk of hospital admission for Covid- 19 among healthcare workers and their families.

Researchers examined data on 158,445 health staff across Scotland aged 18 to 65.

Overall, 57% had patientfacing roles.

They also examined information on almost 230,000 household members of these workers.

Of all hospital admissions for Covid- 19 in the workingage population between March and June, 17.2% involved health workers or their households – or 360 of 2097 admissions among this age group.

After taking various factors into account, the authors found the risk for non- patient- facing healthcare workers was similar to the risk of the general population.

But patient- facing healthcare workers were found to have a three- fold increased risk of hospital admission for Covid- 19, compared with non- patient- facing colleagues.

The people they lived with also faced a two- fold increased risk.

But the authors stressed the overall risk to working- age adults is “low”.

They wrote: “Healthcare workers and their households contributed a sixth of hospital admissions with Covid- 19 among working- age adults.

“Healthcare workers in patientfacing roles – especially those in ‘ front door’ roles – are, along with their households, at higher risk of admission with Covid- 19.

“Importantly, those in non- patient- facing roles had similar risks to the general population.”

David McAllister, a public health doctor based at the University of Glasgow, said: “Healthcare workers continue to play a vital role in our response to the pandemic, every day.

“It is vital that we understand the risks associated with Covid- 19 for them and their families, and not just for their own health, but also so that we can protect and plan for the workforce in the future.”