Day by day symptoms following positive and negative PCR tests for SARS-CoV-2 in non-hospitalised health-care workers: a 90-day follow-up study

AbstractBackgroundLittle is known about the long-term course of symptoms for mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) when accounting for symptoms due to other causes. We aimed to compare symptoms day by day for non-hospitalised individuals who tested positive and negative with polymerase chain reaction for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).MethodsWe followed 210 test-positive and 630 individually matched test-negative health-care workers of the Central Denmark Region up to 90 days after the test, April-June 2020. They daily reported seven COVID-19 related symptoms. Symptom courses were compared graphically and by conditional multivariable logistic regression.ResultsThirty % of test-positive and close to zero of test-negative participants reported a reduced sense of taste and smell during all 90 days of follow-up (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 86.07, 95% CI 22.86-323). Dyspnoea was reported by an initial 20% of test-positive with a gradual decline to about 5% after 30 days without ever reaching the level of the test-negative participants (aOR 6.88, 95% CI 2.41-19.63). Cough, headache, sore throat, muscle aches, and fever were temporarily more prevalent among the test positive participants, but after 30 days, no increases were seen. Women and participants aged 45 years or older tended to be more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection.ConclusionPrevalence of long-lasting reduced sense of taste and smell is highly increased after being diagnosed with mild COVID-19. This pattern is also seen for dyspnoea at a low level but not for cough, sore throat, headache, muscle ache or pain, or fever.Key messagesReduced sense of taste and smell is present at a highly increased level of 30% during 90 days after testing positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2).Test-positive participants experience dyspnoea persistently more often than test-negative participants but affect only few.The prevalence of cough, sore throat, headache, muscle ache or pain, and fever following a positive test reach the level seen after a negative test within 30 days.Women and participants aged 45 years or older tend to be more susceptible to symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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Effects of programmatic interventions to improve the management of latent tuberculosis: a follow up study up to five months after implementation.

10.21203/rs.3.rs-63508/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Mercedes Yanes Lane ◽

Anete Trajman ◽

Mayara Lisboa Bastos ◽

Olivia Oxlade ◽

Chantal Valiquette ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Household Contacts ◽

Follow Up Study ◽

Infection Treatment ◽

Care Workers ◽

Cascade Of Care ◽

Latent Tb ◽

Latent Tb Infection

Abstract BACKGROUND: Less than 19% of those needing tuberculosis (TB) preventive treatment complete it, due to losses in several steps of the cascade of care for latent TB infection. A cluster randomized trial of a programmatic public health intervention to improve management of latent TB infection in household contacts was conducted in Rio de Janeiro. Interventions included contact registry, initial and in-service training, and a TB booklet. We conducted a follow-up study starting one month after the conclusion of this trial, to measure the effect of interventions implemented, and to identify remaining barriers and facilitators to latent TB infection treatment, from different perspectives.METHODS: In two health clinics in Rio de Janeiro that received the interventions in the trial, data for the latent TB infection cascade of care for household contacts was collected over a five-month period. The number of household contacts initiating treatment per 100 index-TB patients was compared with the cascade of care data obtained before and during the intervention trial. Semi-structured open-ended questionnaires were administered to healthcare workers, household contacts and index-TB patients regarding knowledge and perceptions about TB and study interventions. RESULTS: In this follow-up study, 184 household contacts per 100 index-TB patients were identified. When compared to the intervention period, there were 65 fewer household contacts per 100 index-TB patients, (95% CI -115, -15) but the number starting latent TB infection treatment was sustained (difference 2, 95% CI -8,5). A total of 31 index-TB patients, 22 household contacts and 19 health care workers were interviewed. Among index-TB patients, 61% said all their household contacts had been tested for latent TB infection. All health care workers said it was very important to test household contacts, and 95% mentioned that possessing correct knowledge on the benefits of latent TB infection treatment was the main facilitator to enable them to recommend this treatment.CONCLUSION: In this follow-up study, we observed a sustained effect of interventions to strengthen the latent TB infection cascade of care on increasing the number of household contacts starting latent TB infection treatment.

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The impact of measures for secondary individual prevention of work-related skin diseases in health care workers: 1-year follow-up study

Contact Dermatitis ◽

10.1111/j.1600-0536.2008.01505.x ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 60 (3) ◽

pp. 144-149 ◽

Cited By ~ 46

Author(s):

Christian J. Apfelbacher ◽

Stefanie Soder ◽

Thomas L. Diepgen ◽

Elke Weisshaar

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Skin Diseases ◽

Work Related ◽

Follow Up Study ◽

Care Workers ◽

The Impact

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A clinical and serological follow-up study of health care workers allergic to natural rubber latex who had followed a latex avoidance programme

Allergy ◽

10.1111/j.1398-9995.2004.00484.x ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 59 (9) ◽

pp. 1013-1014 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

M. L. Hemery ◽

H. Dhivert-Donnadieu ◽

R. Verdier ◽

P. Dujols ◽

P. Godard ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Natural Rubber ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Natural Rubber Latex ◽

Rubber Latex ◽

Follow Up Study ◽

Care Workers

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Respiratory symptoms and ventilatory function among health-care workers exposed to cleaning and disinfectant chemicals, a 2-year follow-up study

Toxicology and Industrial Health ◽

10.1177/0748233715610043 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 32 (12) ◽

pp. 2002-2008 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mohamed El-Helaly ◽

Hanan H Balkhy ◽

Khan Waseem ◽

Sahdia Khawaja

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Respiratory Symptoms ◽

Control Measures ◽

Effective Control ◽

Ventilatory Function ◽

Work Related ◽

Follow Up Study ◽

Care Workers

Previous cross-sectional studies have shown that exposure to cleaning chemicals among health-care workers (HCWs) is associated with respiratory disorders and ventilatory function changes. This study aimed to further explore this association using a longitudinal approach. A prospective 2-year follow-up study was carried out at a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia from June 2012 to June 2014 among 56 nurses who were responsible for disinfection and sterilization of medical instruments and equipment. The workplaces of the participants were assessed for engineering, environmental, and safety control measures. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to all participants to assess their exposure to cleaning chemicals and their medical history. Spirometric parameters were measured for all nurses in 2012 (baseline) and again in 2014 (follow-up). The prevalence of work-related respiratory symptoms did not increase significantly over this time. Among all the spirometric parameters, only forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio decreased significantly, and only 10.7% of participants who were exposed to cleaning chemicals for more than 10 years had FEV1 and FVC less than their longitudinal normal limits at the end of the study. Smoking and gender were associated with statistically significant decreases in some of the spirometric parameters. Our 2-year follow-up study did not demonstrate significant association between exposure to cleaning chemicals among HCWs and changes in the prevalence of work-related respiratory symptoms, but indicated early effects on ventilatory function among them. The study highlights the importance of periodic spirometry, proper work practices, and effective control measures to protect HCWs against potentially harmful workplace chemicals for disinfection and sterilization.

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