Workplace contact patterns in England during the COVID-19 pandemic: Analysis of the Virus Watch prospective cohort study

Sarah Beale; Susan Hoskins; Thomas Byrne; Wing Lam Erica Fong; Ellen Fragaszy; Cyril Geismar; Jana Kovar; Annalan M D Navaratnam; Vincent Nguyen; Parth Patel; Alexei Yavlinsky; Anne M Johnson; Martie Van Tongeren; Robert W Aldridge; Andrew Hayward; Virus Watch Collaborative

doi:10.1016/j.lanepe.2022.100352

Workplace contact patterns in England during the COVID-19 pandemic: Analysis of the Virus Watch prospective cohort study

Lancet Reg Health Eur. 2022 May:16:100352. doi: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2022.100352. Epub 2022 Apr 22.

Authors

Sarah Beale^{1

2}, Susan Hoskins², Thomas Byrne¹, Wing Lam Erica Fong¹, Ellen Fragaszy^{1

3}, Cyril Geismar^{1

2}, Jana Kovar², Annalan M D Navaratnam^{1

2}, Vincent Nguyen^{1

2}, Parth Patel¹, Alexei Yavlinsky¹, Anne M Johnson⁴, Martie Van Tongeren⁵, Robert W Aldridge¹, Andrew Hayward²; Virus Watch Collaborative

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Public Health Data Science, Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, NW1 2DA, UK.
² Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London, London WC1E 7HB, UK.
³ Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
⁴ Institute for Global Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK.
⁵ Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.

Abstract

Background: Workplaces are an important potential source of SARS-CoV-2 exposure; however, investigation into workplace contact patterns is lacking. This study aimed to investigate how workplace attendance and features of contact varied between occupations across the COVID-19 pandemic in England.

Methods: Data were obtained from electronic contact diaries (November 2020-November 2021) submitted by employed/self-employed prospective cohort study participants (n=4,616). We used mixed models to investigate the effects of occupation and time for: workplace attendance, number of people sharing workspace, time spent sharing workspace, number of close contacts, and usage of face coverings.

Findings: Workplace attendance and contact patterns varied across occupations and time. The predicted probability of intense space sharing during the day was highest for healthcare (78% [95% CI: 75-81%]) and education workers (64% [59%-69%]), who also had the highest probabilities for larger numbers of close contacts (36% [32%-40%] and 38% [33%-43%] respectively). Education workers also demonstrated relatively low predicted probability (51% [44%-57%]) of wearing a face covering during close contact. Across all occupational groups, workspace sharing and close contact increased and usage of face coverings decreased during phases of less stringent restrictions.

Interpretation: Major variations in workplace contact patterns and mask use likely contribute to differential COVID-19 risk. Patterns of variation by occupation and restriction phase may inform interventions for future waves of COVID-19 or other respiratory epidemics. Across occupations, increasing workplace contact and reduced face covering usage is concerning given ongoing high levels of community transmission and emergence of variants.

Funding: Medical Research Council; HM Government; Wellcome Trust.

Keywords: COVID-19; Epidemiology; Occupation; Public health.

Abstract

Grants and funding