Sickness presenteeism in healthcare workers during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: An observational cohort study

Katherine Linsenmeyer; David Mohr; Kalpana Gupta; Sucheta Doshi; Allen L Gifford; Michael E Charness

doi:10.1017/ice.2023.47

Sickness presenteeism in healthcare workers during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: An observational cohort study

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2023 Oct;44(10):1693-1696. doi: 10.1017/ice.2023.47. Epub 2023 Apr 11.

Authors

Katherine Linsenmeyer^{1

2}, David Mohr^{1

3

4}, Kalpana Gupta^{1

2}, Sucheta Doshi^{1

5}, Allen L Gifford^{1

2

3

4}, Michael E Charness^{1

6

7}

Affiliations

¹ Veterans' Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury, Massachusetts.
² Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.
³ Department of Health Law Policy & Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.
⁴ VA Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts.
⁵ Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, BostonMassachusetts.
⁶ Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
⁷ Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.

Abstract

Sickness presenteeism among healthcare workers (HCW) risks nosocomial infection, but its prevalence among HCW with COVID-19 is unknown. Contemporaneous interviews revealed a sickness presenteeism prevalence of 49.8% among 255 HCW with symptomatic COVID-19. Presenteeism prevalence did not differ among HCW with and without specific COVID-19 symptoms or direct patient care.

Publication types

Observational Study

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Cohort Studies
Cross-Sectional Studies
Health Personnel
Humans
Pandemics
Presenteeism