TY - JOUR
T1 - Post-Acute COVID-19 Sequelae in a Working Population at One Year Follow-Up: A Wide Range of Impacts from an Italian Sample
AU - Buonsenso, Danilo
AU - Gualano, Maria Rosaria
AU - Rossi, Maria Francesca
AU - Rossi, Maria Francesca
AU - Valz Gris, Angelica
AU - Sisti, Leuconoe Grazia
AU - Borrelli, Ivan
AU - Santoro, Paolo Emilio
AU - Tumminello, Antonio
AU - Gentili, Carolina
AU - Malorni, Walter
AU - Valentini, Piero
AU - Ricciardi, Walter
AU - Moscato, Umberto
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Long COVID-19 is a term used to describe the symptomatic sequelae that develop after suffering from COVID-19. Very few studies have investigated the impact of COVID-19 sequelae on employment status. The aim of this research was to characterise sequelae of COVID-19 in a population of workers who tested positive for COVID-19, with a follow-up within one year of the acute illness, and to analyse the possible association between this and changes in the workers' occupational status. In this retrospective cohort study, a questionnaire was administered to 155 workers; descriptive, univariate (chi-square tests), and multivariate (logistic regression model) analyses were carried out. The mean age was 46.48 years (SD +/- 7.302); 76 participants were males (49.7%), and 33 participants reported being current smokers (21.3%). Overall, 19.0% of patients reported not feeling fully recovered at follow-up, and 13.7% reported a change in their job status after COVID-19. A change in occupational status was associated with being a smoker (OR 4.106, CI [1.406-11.990], p = 0.010); hospital stay was associated with age > 46 years in a statistically significant way (p = 0.025) and with not feeling fully recovered at follow-up (p = 0.003). A persistent worsening in anxiety was more common in women (p = 0.028). This study identifies smoking as a risk factor for workers not able to resume their job; furthermore, occupational physicians should monitor mental health more closely after COVID-19, particularly in female workers.
AB - Long COVID-19 is a term used to describe the symptomatic sequelae that develop after suffering from COVID-19. Very few studies have investigated the impact of COVID-19 sequelae on employment status. The aim of this research was to characterise sequelae of COVID-19 in a population of workers who tested positive for COVID-19, with a follow-up within one year of the acute illness, and to analyse the possible association between this and changes in the workers' occupational status. In this retrospective cohort study, a questionnaire was administered to 155 workers; descriptive, univariate (chi-square tests), and multivariate (logistic regression model) analyses were carried out. The mean age was 46.48 years (SD +/- 7.302); 76 participants were males (49.7%), and 33 participants reported being current smokers (21.3%). Overall, 19.0% of patients reported not feeling fully recovered at follow-up, and 13.7% reported a change in their job status after COVID-19. A change in occupational status was associated with being a smoker (OR 4.106, CI [1.406-11.990], p = 0.010); hospital stay was associated with age > 46 years in a statistically significant way (p = 0.025) and with not feeling fully recovered at follow-up (p = 0.003). A persistent worsening in anxiety was more common in women (p = 0.028). This study identifies smoking as a risk factor for workers not able to resume their job; furthermore, occupational physicians should monitor mental health more closely after COVID-19, particularly in female workers.
KW - COVID-19
KW - employment status
KW - long COVID-19
KW - occupational medicine
KW - smoking
KW - workers
KW - COVID-19
KW - employment status
KW - long COVID-19
KW - occupational medicine
KW - smoking
KW - workers
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10807/217386
U2 - 10.3390/ijerph191711093
DO - 10.3390/ijerph191711093
M3 - Article
SN - 1660-4601
VL - 19
SP - 11093-N/A
JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
ER -