Examining the Relationship Between Workplace Industry and COVID-19 Infection: A Cross-sectional Study of Canada's Largest Rapid Antigen Screening Program

Evgenia Gatov; Sonia Sennik; Avi Goldfarb; Joshua Gans; Janice Stein; Ajay Agrawal; Laura Rosella

doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000003028

Examining the Relationship Between Workplace Industry and COVID-19 Infection: A Cross-sectional Study of Canada's Largest Rapid Antigen Screening Program

J Occup Environ Med. 2024 Feb 1;66(2):e68-e76. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000003028. Epub 2023 Dec 14.

Authors

Evgenia Gatov¹, Sonia Sennik, Avi Goldfarb, Joshua Gans, Janice Stein, Ajay Agrawal, Laura Rosella

Affiliation

¹ From the Creative Destruction Lab, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada (E.G., S.S., A.G., J.G., A.A.); Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada (E.G.); Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada (A.G., J.G., A.A.); Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada (J.S.); and Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada (L.R.).

PMID: 38151981
DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000003028

Abstract

Objectives: To control virus spread while keeping the economy open, this study aimed to identify individuals at increased risk of COVID-19 transmission in the workplace using rapid antigen screening data.

Methods: Among adult participants in a large Canadian rapid antigen screening program (January 2021-March 2022), we examined screening, personal, and workplace characteristics and conducted logistic regressions, adjusted for COVID-19 wave, screening frequency and location, role, age group, and geography.

Results: Among 145,814 participants across 2707 worksites, 6209 screened positive at least once. Workers in natural resources (odds ratio [OR] = 2.1 [1.73-2.55]), utilities (OR = 1.67 [1.38-2.03]), construction (OR = 1.35 [1.06-1.71]), and transportation/warehousing (OR = 1.32 [1.12-1.56]) had increased odds of screening positive; workers in education/health (OR = 0.62 [0.52-0.73]), leisure/hospitality (OR = 0.71 [0.56-0.90]), and finance (OR = 0.84 [0.71-0.99]) had lesser odds of screening positive, compared with professional/business services.

Conclusions: Certain industries involving in-person work in close quarters are associated with elevated COVID-19 transmission. Continued reliance on rapid screening in these sectors is warranted.

MeSH terms

Adult
COVID-19* / diagnosis
COVID-19* / epidemiology
Canada / epidemiology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Humans
Industry
Workplace