COVID-19 Prevalence among Healthcare Workers. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Tafadzwa Dzinamarira, Grant Murewanhema, Malizgani Mhango, Patrick Gad Iradukunda, Itai Chitungo, Moreblessing Mashora, Pelagia Makanda, James Atwine, Munashe Chimene, Elliot Mbunge, Munyaradzi Paul Mapingure, Innocent Chingombe, Godfrey Musuka, Sphamandla Josias Nkambule and Bernard Ngara
Additional contact information
Tafadzwa Dzinamarira: School of Health Systems & Public Health, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
Grant Murewanhema: Unit of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Department of Primary Health Care Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
Malizgani Mhango: School of Public Health, University of Western Cape, Cape Town 7535, South Africa
Patrick Gad Iradukunda: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, London WC1E 7HT, UK
Itai Chitungo: Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
Moreblessing Mashora: Department of Public Health, Mount Kenya University, Kigali 00100, Rwanda
Pelagia Makanda: Department of Medicine, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou 121001, China
James Atwine: Department of Medicine, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou 121001, China
Munashe Chimene: Department of Health Sciences, Africa University, Mutare, Zimbabwe
Elliot Mbunge: Department of Information Technology, Faculty of Accounting and Informatics, Durban University of Technology, Durban 4000, South Africa
Munyaradzi Paul Mapingure: ICAP at Columbia University, Harare, Zimbabwe
Innocent Chingombe: ICAP at Columbia University, Harare, Zimbabwe
Godfrey Musuka: ICAP at Columbia University, Harare, Zimbabwe
Sphamandla Josias Nkambule: Department of Public Health Medicine, School of Nursing and Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa
Bernard Ngara: Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 19, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Understanding the burden of SARS-CoV-2 infections among healthcare workers is a critical component to inform occupational health policy and strategy. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to map and analayse the available global evidence on the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infections among healthcare workers. The random-effects adjusted pooled prevalence of COVID-19 among those studies that conducted the test using the antibody (Ab) method was 7% [95% CI: 3 to 17%]. The random-effects adjusted pooled prevalence of COVID-19 among those studies that conducted the test using the PCR method was 11% [95% CI: 7 to 16%]. We found the burden of COVID-19 among healthcare workers to be quite significant and therefore a cause for global health concern. Furthermore, COVID-19 infections among healthcare workers affect service delivery through workers’ sick leave, the isolation of confirmed cases and quarantine of contacts, all of which place significant strain on an already shrunken health workforce.

Keywords: healthcare worker; COVID-19; systematic review; meta-analysis; SARS-CoV-2 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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