Incidence of COVID-19 in outpatient healthcare workers

Currently, work in any medical organization carries a risk of coronavirus infection, and, first of all, this applies to medical organizations dealing with the treatment of patients infected with coronavirus. Medical workers are a group at increased risk of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the provision of medical care in modern conditions, which determines their incidence of COVID-19 [1–3].

The aim of the study is to explore the prevalence of cases of COVID-19 infection in medical workers providing medical care on an outpatient basis.

The analysis of the incidence of COVID-19 medical workers in one of the large medical organizations of the Samara region during the period of the pandemic was carried out. The medical staff of the medical organization includes 207 doctors. There are 11 subdivisions in the structure of the medical and prophylactic institution. Research methods: content analysis of the modern regulatory framework (2020-2021), statistical, expert.

For the period from May 2020 to March 2021 71 cases of infection of medical workers on an outpatient basis with SARS-CoV-2 were identified, of which 32 doctors (45%) and 39 people (55%) nurses. Based on the results of the expert assessment, the insurance nature of the infection case was established in 50 people (70%).

Among the medical and nursing categories of medical workers, the largest number of cases was made by doctors and nurses of primary contact — specialists of the district service: general practitioners (40%), pediatricians (32%), doctors — obstetricians-gynecologists (12%), nurses adults (76%) and children (20%) polyclinic departments. A third of health workers received inpatient treatment for severe COVID-19, an average of 60 days.

Medical workers are a risk group of COVID-19 who need support measures, since the possibility of occupational infection has been sufficiently proven, and the risk probably depends on the work performed and the conditions of direct contact of medical personnel, which requires further study in the current persisting epidemic conditions.

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