COVID-19: Outcomes in Healthcare Staff

A systematic review analysed the data on COVID-19 from 586 citations until 8 May 2020, to assess the rates of COVID-19 infections and deaths in healthcare workers in the beginning of the pandemic in different regions/countries and demographics.

Overall 152,888 HCWs were infected with and 1,413 died of COVID-19, which represents 3.9% and 0.5% of the global case count respectively. The majority of infections were recorded in women (71.6%) and nurses (38.6%) whereas fatal outcomes were mostly in men (70.8%) and doctors (51.4%). Within the period the highest absolute numbers of infections and deaths were registered in Europe, and the highest mortality rate in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Other major findings of the study include:

• The majority of infections and deaths in HCWs were reported in the 50-59 age range, and the highest mortality rate in the group aged over 70 years. The median age was 47.3 years for those infected and 56.2 years for those who died.
• Infections were seen more in nurses, deaths more in doctors.
• Among doctors, general practitioners were at the highest risk of death, among nurses those working in mental health.
• At that time, Europe reported the highest number of deaths and Africa the lowest.