Incidence and the Factors Associated with Severe COVID-19 among Healthcare Workers in Kannur District of Kerala: A Longitudinal Study

Ameena Subair Raheela; Preetha  Muduvana

Ameena Subair Raheela Assistant Surgeon, Department of Health Services, Government of Kerala.
Preetha Muduvana District Surveillance Officer, Department of Health Services, Government of Kerala.

Keywords: Healthcare Workers, Kerala, Severe COVID-19

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 remains a challenge to healthcare workers (HCWs) all over the world since its emergence in the form of a pandemic. Keeping in view the vulnerability of HCWs to multiple exposures because of the nature of the service they are providing, the Government of India launched COVID-19 vaccination initially for the HCWs. The study intended to estimate the incidence of severe COVID-19, the factors associated with as well as the predictors of severe COVID-19 among the HCWs declared positive for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Kannur, a northern district of Kerala.

Methods: The study design used was a prospective observational, where the study population was HCWs declared positive for SARS-CoV-2 from January to July 2021 in Kannur district. Out of the total declared, 3014 HCWs were followed up for two months from their date of declaring positive for COVID-19, over the telephone as part of the district-level monitoring process under COVID-19 surveillance.

Results: Out of the total 3014 HCWs, 2604 (86%) reported at least one kind of symptom. Twenty cases belonged to severe COVID-19 and the severity of COVID-19 was found associated with factors like place of isolation, transmission of COVID-19 infection to the family members, history of COVID-19 vaccination, presence of more than one co-morbidity, having diabetes mellitus, having hypertension, presence of symptoms such as fatigue, vomiting and dyspnoea. 65 cases were COVID-19 re-infections and none of them were having severe COVID-19. On regression, the significant predictors obtained were the presence of vomiting, dyspnoea, diabetes mellitus, and a history of transmission of COVID-19 infection to the family members.

Conclusion: The disease severity can be predicted by the presence of co-morbidities, disease transmission, and certain clinical features.

How to cite this article:
Raheela AS, Muduvana P. Incidence and the Factors Associated with Severe COVID-19 among Healthcare Workers in Kannur District of Kerala: A Longitudinal Study. XIV Annual Conference of Indian Society for Malaria & Other Communicable Diseases (ISMOCD). 2023;40-48.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/0019.5138.202335

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