Risk of COVID-19 Outcomes Among Healthcare Workers: Findings from the Philippine CORONA Retrospective Cohort Study

Overview

Journal Acta Med Philipp

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2025 Feb 19

PMID 39967703

Authors

Adrian I Espiritu

Carl Froilan D Leochico

Isabella E Supnet

Emilio Q Villanueva

Marie Charmaine C Sy

Veeda Michelle M Anlacan

Roland Dominic G Jamora

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: While many healthcare workers (HCWs) contracted COVID-19 during the pandemic, more information is needed to fully understand the potential for adverse health effects in this population segment. The aim of the present study is to examine the association between healthcare worker status and neurologic and clinical outcomes in COVID-19 infected inpatients.

Methods: Using the nationwide database provided by the retrospective cohort Philippine CORONA study, we extracted relevant data and performed a secondary analysis primarily focusing on the presentation and outcomes of healthcare workers. Propensity score matching in a 3:1 ratio was performed to match HCWs and non-HCWs. We performed multiple logistic and Cox regression analyses to determine the relationship between HCWs and COVID-19 clinical outcomes.

Results: We included 3,362 patients infected with COVID-19; of which, 854 were HCWs. Among the HCWs, a total of 31 (3.63%) and 45 (5.27%) had the primary outcomes of in-hospital mortality and respiratory failure, respectively. For both overall and 3:1 propensity-matched cohorts, being an HCW significantly decreased the odds of the following outcomes: severe/critical COVID-19 at nadir; in-hospital mortality; respiratory failure; intensive care unit admission; and hospital stay >14 days.

Conclusion: We found that being an HCW is not associated with worse neurologic and clinical outcomes among patients hospitalized for COVID-19.

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