Prevalence of Acute Sars COV-2 Infection among Healthcare Workers and Their Associated Risk Factors in a Tertiary Care Centre of North India

Abstract

Background: Study on the SARS COV-2 and its associated risk factors among the Health care workers who are being in the frontline of the SARS COV-2 pandemic are facing a substantial risk of infection from Corona-virus disease 2019 outbreak. Study: Hospital-based cross-sectional study. Place of Study: Postgraduate Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Kashmir. Duration: One year. Methodologies: This is a hospital-based cross-sectional study design conducted in the Department of Microbiology, Covid Lab, where the participants were the HCW’s from GMC & associated hospitals along with many districts of Kashmir division suffering from acute respiratory infection suspected of COVID-19. All the participants provided information on demographic factors, medical history, and subsequently any COVID-19 symptoms along with the contact details before testing. And the test results for SARS-CoV-2 were obtained using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR). Results: Between March 2020 and March 2021, 7141 HCWs were tested for COVID-19 at Covid Lab, GMC Srinagar. A total of 913 (12.7%) HCW tested positive for Covid-19. Males 629 (68.8%) were affected more in comparison to females 284 (31.2%). The highest positivity was observed among the age group between 26-35 years of age 346 (37.8%) followed by 36-45 years 221 (24.2%). Among the positive 698(76.4%) were symptomatic. Doctors comprise a total of 533 (58.3%) of the total SARS COV-2 infected health care workers. Conclusion: As apparent from the study, HCWs play a vital role in fighting the SARS-CoV-2  pandemic. The analysis along with the rapid and reliable access to testing of the infection status of HCWs is essential to preserve the health, safety, and availability of the healthcare workforce and to facilitate the rapid return of SARS- CoV-2 negative HCWs to work.