COVID-19 in the employees of healthcare facilities: characteristics of clinical manifestations in the acute and convalescence periods


DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18565/epidem.2021.11.4.25-30

Platonova T.A., Golubkova A.A., Smirnova S.S.

1) European Medical Center «Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company (UMMC)-Health», Yekaterinburg, Russia; 2) Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being, Moscow, Russia; 3) Yekaterinburg Research Institute of Viral Infections, State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology «Vector», Yekaterinburg, Russia; 4) Ural State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia, Yekaterinburg, Russia
Objective. To analyze the clinical manifestations of the novel coronavirus infection in healthcare workers and to assess its short and long term health consequences.
Materials and methods. The investigation enrolled 238 healthcare workers who had been ill with COVID-19 in 2020. The investigation used the online questionnaire designed by the authors on the basis of Google electronic services, which had been distributed to the employees of healthcare facilities via corporate email or WhatsApp messenger.
Results. The disease ran as mild or moderate acute respiratory infection in 178 (74.8%) employees and as interstitial pneumonia in 52 (21.8%); clinical manifestations were absent in 8 (3.4%). Among the clinical symptoms of the disease, there was most commonly weakness; fever; loss of sense of smell (anosmia); impaired nasal airflow and seromucous nasal discharge; muscle and joint pains; headache; mostly dry cough; loss of sense of taste (ageusia); sore throat; ophthalmalgia; dizziness; a feeling of chest compression; dyspnea; dyspeptic manifestations as diarrhea, nausea or vomiting. Many respondents reported that a number of symptoms had persisted fairly long after relief of the main manifestations of coronavirus infection (on average for less than 3 months, as well as for less than 5 months after the disease).
Conclusion. There is evidence for the main clinical manifestations of the novel coronavirus infection in healthcare workers, their severity and duration, as well as the consequences of the disease for the health of those who have been ill, which can be used in the development of rehabilitation programs for people who have experienced varying degrees of COVID-19.
Keywords: disease consequences, employees of healthcare facilities, COVID-19, clinical manifestations
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About the Autors

Tatyana A. Platonova, Cand. Med. Sci., Epidemiologist, Нead, Epidemiological Department, European medical center «UMMC-Health», Yekaterinburg, Russia; fill.1990@inbox.ru; http://orcid.org/ 0000-0001-5441-854X
Professor Alla A. Golubkova, MD, Leading Researcher, Laboratory of Infections Associated with the Provision of Medical Care, Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being, Moscow, Russia; allagolubkova@yandex.ru; http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4812-2165
Svetlana S. Smirnova, Cand. Med. Sci.; Head, Ural Siberian Research and Guidance Center for the Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Infections, Yekaterinburg Research Institute of Viral Infections, State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology «Vector», Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being; Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Social Hygiene, and Organization of the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service, Ural State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia, Yekaterinburg, Russia; smirnova_ss69@mail.ru; http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9749-4611


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