TY - JOUR
T1 - Occupation and risk of severe COVID-19
T2 - Prospective cohort study of 120 075 UK Biobank participants
AU - Mutambudzi, Miriam
AU - Niedwiedz, Claire
AU - Macdonald, Ewan Beaton
AU - Leyland, Alastair
AU - Mair, Frances
AU - Anderson, Jana
AU - Celis-Morales, Carlos
AU - Cleland, John
AU - Forbes, John
AU - Gill, Jason
AU - Hastie, Claire
AU - Ho, Frederick
AU - Jani, Bhautesh
AU - Mackay, Daniel F.
AU - Nicholl, Barbara
AU - O'donnell, Catherine
AU - Sattar, Naveed
AU - Welsh, Paul
AU - Pell, Jill P.
AU - Katikireddi, Srinivasa Vittal
AU - Demou, Evangelia
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021.
PY - 2021/5/1
Y1 - 2021/5/1
N2 - Objectives To investigate severe COVID-19 risk by occupational group. Methods Baseline UK Biobank data (2006-10) for England were linked to SARS-CoV-2 test results from Public Health England (16 March to 26 July 2020). Included participants were employed or self-employed at baseline, alive and aged <65 years in 2020. Poisson regression models were adjusted sequentially for baseline demographic, socioeconomic, work-related, health, and lifestyle-related risk factors to assess risk ratios (RRs) for testing positive in hospital or death due to COVID-19 by three occupational classification schemes (including Standard Occupation Classification (SOC) 2000). Results Of 120 075 participants, 271 had severe COVID-19. Relative to non-essential workers, healthcare workers (RR 7.43, 95% CI 5.52 to 10.00), social and education workers (RR 1.84, 95% CI 1.21 to 2.82) and other essential workers (RR 1.60, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.45) had a higher risk of severe COVID-19. Using more detailed groupings, medical support staff (RR 8.70, 95% CI 4.87 to 15.55), social care (RR 2.46, 95% CI 1.47 to 4.14) and transport workers (RR 2.20, 95% CI 1.21 to 4.00) had the highest risk within the broader groups. Compared with white non-essential workers, non-white non-essential workers had a higher risk (RR 3.27, 95% CI 1.90 to 5.62) and non-white essential workers had the highest risk (RR 8.34, 95% CI 5.17 to 13.47). Using SOC 2000 major groups, associate professional and technical occupations, personal service occupations and plant and machine operatives had a higher risk, compared with managers and senior officials. Conclusions Essential workers have a higher risk of severe COVID-19. These findings underscore the need for national and organisational policies and practices that protect and support workers with an elevated risk of severe COVID-19.
AB - Objectives To investigate severe COVID-19 risk by occupational group. Methods Baseline UK Biobank data (2006-10) for England were linked to SARS-CoV-2 test results from Public Health England (16 March to 26 July 2020). Included participants were employed or self-employed at baseline, alive and aged <65 years in 2020. Poisson regression models were adjusted sequentially for baseline demographic, socioeconomic, work-related, health, and lifestyle-related risk factors to assess risk ratios (RRs) for testing positive in hospital or death due to COVID-19 by three occupational classification schemes (including Standard Occupation Classification (SOC) 2000). Results Of 120 075 participants, 271 had severe COVID-19. Relative to non-essential workers, healthcare workers (RR 7.43, 95% CI 5.52 to 10.00), social and education workers (RR 1.84, 95% CI 1.21 to 2.82) and other essential workers (RR 1.60, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.45) had a higher risk of severe COVID-19. Using more detailed groupings, medical support staff (RR 8.70, 95% CI 4.87 to 15.55), social care (RR 2.46, 95% CI 1.47 to 4.14) and transport workers (RR 2.20, 95% CI 1.21 to 4.00) had the highest risk within the broader groups. Compared with white non-essential workers, non-white non-essential workers had a higher risk (RR 3.27, 95% CI 1.90 to 5.62) and non-white essential workers had the highest risk (RR 8.34, 95% CI 5.17 to 13.47). Using SOC 2000 major groups, associate professional and technical occupations, personal service occupations and plant and machine operatives had a higher risk, compared with managers and senior officials. Conclusions Essential workers have a higher risk of severe COVID-19. These findings underscore the need for national and organisational policies and practices that protect and support workers with an elevated risk of severe COVID-19.
KW - exposure assessment
KW - health care workers
KW - investigation of outbreaks of illness
KW - physicians
KW - public health
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85097563426&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1136/oemed-2020-106731
DO - 10.1136/oemed-2020-106731
M3 - Article
C2 - 33298533
AN - SCOPUS:85097563426
SN - 1351-0711
VL - 78
SP - 307
EP - 314
JO - Occupational and Environmental Medicine
JF - Occupational and Environmental Medicine
IS - 5
ER -
