Introduction: Healthcare workers (HCWs) have a high risk of acquiring SARSCoV- 2 infection, due to repeated occupational exposure, long working hours, stress and fatigue. In India, there is lack of data regarding the prevalence of COVID-19 amongst HCWs due to absence of routine screening programme within the hospital premises. We have designed this study in order to improve our understanding of the incidence of SARS-CoV2 within the health care workers working in a level 4 COVID hospital in Kolkata.
Materials and methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted at the Department of Microbiology, ID and BG Hospital, Kolkata upon health care workers who presented with symptoms suggestive of Covid 19 and their direct contacts. Oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal swabs collected from the participants were subjected to Real time RT-PCR for detection of E, RDRP and ORF1B N gene for Covid 19 detection.
Result: Out of the 274 HCW tested, 75 (27%) of total HCWs were found to be positive. Among them 33(44%) were frontline workers and rest of them 42 (56%) were non-frontline workers. Predominance of SARS- CoV2 infection was found in male HCWs (57%) than female HCWs (43%). HCWs younger than 45 years (68%) were more infected.52 (69%) HCWs presented with symptoms like fever, sore throat, bodyache, loss of sensation of smell, coughs etc. 23(31%) were asymptomatic with history of direct contact with Covid-19 positive cases.
Conclusion: Heath care workers are at higher risk of being exposed to SARS-CoV2 and could potentially has a role in transmission in and out of the hospital. Hence, routine screening of both symptomatic as well as asymptomatic hospital staff is essential for early diagnosis to prevent transmission of COVID 19 infection.
© Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2011.