OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE AND SARS-COV-2 INFECTION IN A TERCIARY CARE HOSPIAL IN BRAZIL

Resumo

Background: Health care workers (HCW) are at a higher risk of infection in their workplace and can play an important role in amplifying local outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2. The aimed to describe the first cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection among HCW in a tertiary hospital. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of HCW with confirmed COVID-19 from March to July 2020 in central-west Brazil. We conducted 218 contact tracing of HCW with exposure to COVID-19 patients and described exposure risk, adherence to infection control recommendations, epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, radiologic findings and clinical management data. Results: Risk of exposure was identified for 175 HCW and 137 of them were advised self-isolation. From 130 symptomatic HCW, 50 (38.5%) had positive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). A cough (75%), fever (54.1%) and shortness of breath (50%), were the most prevalent symptoms. Five (20.8%) professionals required hospitalization and 16.6% (4) were admitted to the ICU. Ground-glass opacities (60%) were the most frequent findings on pulmonary computed tomography. Sixteen (66%) referred exposure to confirmed cases and most exposures (66%) were classified as high risk. Even though available,41.7% (10) were not wearing standardized PPE (personal protective equipment) at the time of exposure and 80% (8) of these were not wearing N95 respirator during aerosol generating procedures. Conclusion: This study highlights how poor adherence to standard infection control recommendations can lead to in-hospital transmission during periods of staff shortages.