Going to work with COVID-19 symptoms among non-sanitary (or socio-sanitary) workers: an issue of social inequality

Abstract

Objecives: To describe the characteristics of the workers of activity sectors other than sanitary and socio-sanitary, who go to work with COVID-19 symptoms (GWC19S) during the lockdown or first phase of the lockdown de-escalation in Spain.

Study design: An observational cross-sectional study based on a convenience sample selected from the COTS online survey.

Methods: A cross-sectional study based on a sample of n = 9601 workers. Descriptive analyses were performed calculating GWC19S prevalences and fitting robust Poisson regressions to obtain crude and adjusted prevalence ratios.

Results: The overall GWC19S prevalence is 5.6%, greater in young people (8.7%), manual workers (8.7%), workers with low salaries (9.5%), and workers of essential sectors (7.4%). Among those workers who went to work regularly to their workplaces, the GWC19S prevalence is 10.0%, greater in young (15.1%), workers with low salaries (14.2%), and women (13.2%).

Conclusions: The axes of inequality of the labor market are clearly represented in the GWC19S phenomenon.

Keywords: COVID-19; Inequalities; SARS-CoV-2; Spain; Work.