Utilizing Worker's Compensation Claims to Assess sars-cov-2 Transmission in Healthcare Workers at a Large Health System

Bond, Jessi M.; Russell, Aimee

Background Healthcare workers may be at an increased risk for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) transmission due to prolonged, close contact with infectious patients. Therefore, it is imperative that healthcare organizations develop effective control measures to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2, including the use of personal protective equipment. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of control measures implemented at our health system through evaluation of worker's compensation reported exposures and accepted claims. Methods Workplace exposure and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 was determined using a communicable disease reporting process through worker's compensation between March 1, 2020 and August 31, 2020 at a multicenter health system. The total number of employees positive for SARS-CoV-2 was extracted from Employee Health laboratory reports. Results A total of 693 COVID-19 related exposures were reported from 3/1/2020 to 8/31/2020. Of those, 85 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Through the worker's compensation event investigation and physician review, 51 employees (7.4% of reported exposures) were determined to have, on a medically more probable than not basis, acquired SARS-CoV-2 from a workplace exposure (26 patient exposures, 14 co-worker exposures, 6 patient and co-worker exposures, and 5 unknown exposures). The overall number of employee positives during the study time period was 441. Workplace acquisition accounted for 11.6% of the employee cases. Conclusions Of the reported COVID-19 exposures, 7.4% resulted in workplace transmission, indicating that control measures implemented by the health system are effective at limiting virus transmission in the workplace. Additionally, workplace associated cases accounted for 11.5% of overall employee positives, suggesting that employees are acquiring the virus in settings other than the workplace. This data reinforces the effectiveness of the hierarchy of controls in preventing workplace hazards and emphasizes the need for healthcare workers to practice infection prevention measures both in and outside of the workplace to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2.