Viral and bacterial upper respiratory tract infection in hospital health care workers over time and association with symptoms

Raina MacIntyre, C.; Chughtai, Abrar Ahmad; Zhang, Yi; Seale, Holly; Yang, Peng; Chen, Joshua; Pan, Yang; Zhang, Daitao; Wang, Quanyi

Rates of bacterial, viral and co-infections were measured at the start and end of the study period and were also compared in symptomatic and non-symptomatic participants. We performed analysis considering three outcomes. First we compared rates of all bacterial infection at the start or end of the study including bacterial/viral co-infections, in symptomatic and asymptomatic participants. Then we compared rates of bacterial infection and co-infection in symptomatic and asymptomatic participants -five cases with viral only infections were excluded from this analysis. Finally we compared rates of only bacterial infection excluding viral co-infection, in symptomatic and asymptomatic participants. The primary endpoints of interest were analysed by binary logistic regression models. Univariate analyses were performed for main exposure variable and other variables such as age, sex, occupation, vaccination status, performing high-risk procedures, mask use, smoking status, preexisting illness, respiratory symptoms within the family and ward type. Multivariate analyses were also performed and all variable were included in the model. The data were analysed using SAS v. 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., USA).