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COVID-19-related hospital admission in spouses of partners in at-risk occupations

COVID-19-related hospital admission in spouses of partners in at-risk occupations
COVID-19-related hospital admission in spouses of partners in at-risk occupations

Objective: this study aimed to quantify the risk of COVID-19-related hospital admission in spouses living with partners in at-risk occupations in Denmark during 2020-21.

Methods: within a registry-based cohort of all Danish employees (N=2 451 542), we identified cohabiting couples, in which at least one member (spouse) held a job that according to a job exposure matrix entailed low risk of occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 (N=192 807 employees, 316 COVID-19 hospital admissions). Risk of COVID-19-related hospital admission in such spouses was assessed according to whether their partners were in jobs with low, intermediate or high risk for infection. Overall and sex-specific incidence rate ratios (IRR) of COVID-19-related hospital admission were computed by Poisson regression with adjustment for relevant covariates.

Results: the risk of COVID-19-related hospital admission was increased among spouses with partners in high-risk occupations [adjusted IRR (IRRadj)1.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1-2.2], but not intermediate-risk occupations (IRRadj 0.97 95% 0.8-1.3). IRR for having a partner in a high-risk job was elevated during the first three pandemic waves but not in the fourth (IRRadj 0.48 95% CI 0.2-1.5). Sex did not modify the risk of hospital admission.

Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 transmission at the workplace may pose an increased risk of severe COVID-19 among spouses in low-risk jobs living with partners in high-risk jobs, which emphasizes the need for preventive measures at the workplace in future outbreaks of epidemic contagious disease. When available, effective vaccines seem essential.

Male, Female, Humans, COVID-19/epidemiology, Spouses, SARS-CoV-2, Occupations, Hospitals
0355-3140
193-200
Bonde, Jens Peter Ellekilde
4d9dc567-ea3e-4c39-b80f-7e32fe3327c3
Begtrup, Luise Mølenberg
64564ac2-9617-4b33-9ebd-c48d576d0794
Coggon, David
2b43ce0a-cc61-4d86-b15d-794208ffa5d3
Jensen, Johan Høy
c3c5c6a4-814a-4690-ab7a-3e03ac642b67
Flachs, Esben Meulengracht
2e5301a9-85ea-4fdf-8fdb-584914d16257
Jakobsson, Kristina
b49205cb-718f-417e-99e4-0841191a2d75
Nielsen, Christel
dfdba4ff-e51a-42e1-aaef-1f36fbe04098
Nilsson, Kerstin
6c1889ba-7e31-4c41-bfac-eaa423996d92
Rylander, Lars
ff840661-ff87-45ec-abfe-7912aac4b9f1
Vilhelmsson, Andreas
c8355d77-b47b-47c8-898d-1aebec0ab645
Petersen, Kajsa Ugelvig
50445e09-6f6a-4814-aa76-87e19edac1e7
Tøttenborg, Sandra Søgaard
7598aefd-c1a0-485f-bbba-75ab133821e1
Bonde, Jens Peter Ellekilde
4d9dc567-ea3e-4c39-b80f-7e32fe3327c3
Begtrup, Luise Mølenberg
64564ac2-9617-4b33-9ebd-c48d576d0794
Coggon, David
2b43ce0a-cc61-4d86-b15d-794208ffa5d3
Jensen, Johan Høy
c3c5c6a4-814a-4690-ab7a-3e03ac642b67
Flachs, Esben Meulengracht
2e5301a9-85ea-4fdf-8fdb-584914d16257
Jakobsson, Kristina
b49205cb-718f-417e-99e4-0841191a2d75
Nielsen, Christel
dfdba4ff-e51a-42e1-aaef-1f36fbe04098
Nilsson, Kerstin
6c1889ba-7e31-4c41-bfac-eaa423996d92
Rylander, Lars
ff840661-ff87-45ec-abfe-7912aac4b9f1
Vilhelmsson, Andreas
c8355d77-b47b-47c8-898d-1aebec0ab645
Petersen, Kajsa Ugelvig
50445e09-6f6a-4814-aa76-87e19edac1e7
Tøttenborg, Sandra Søgaard
7598aefd-c1a0-485f-bbba-75ab133821e1

Bonde, Jens Peter Ellekilde, Begtrup, Luise Mølenberg, Coggon, David, Jensen, Johan Høy, Flachs, Esben Meulengracht, Jakobsson, Kristina, Nielsen, Christel, Nilsson, Kerstin, Rylander, Lars, Vilhelmsson, Andreas, Petersen, Kajsa Ugelvig and Tøttenborg, Sandra Søgaard (2023) COVID-19-related hospital admission in spouses of partners in at-risk occupations. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 49 (3), 193-200. (doi:10.5271/sjweh.4080).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Objective: this study aimed to quantify the risk of COVID-19-related hospital admission in spouses living with partners in at-risk occupations in Denmark during 2020-21.

Methods: within a registry-based cohort of all Danish employees (N=2 451 542), we identified cohabiting couples, in which at least one member (spouse) held a job that according to a job exposure matrix entailed low risk of occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 (N=192 807 employees, 316 COVID-19 hospital admissions). Risk of COVID-19-related hospital admission in such spouses was assessed according to whether their partners were in jobs with low, intermediate or high risk for infection. Overall and sex-specific incidence rate ratios (IRR) of COVID-19-related hospital admission were computed by Poisson regression with adjustment for relevant covariates.

Results: the risk of COVID-19-related hospital admission was increased among spouses with partners in high-risk occupations [adjusted IRR (IRRadj)1.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1-2.2], but not intermediate-risk occupations (IRRadj 0.97 95% 0.8-1.3). IRR for having a partner in a high-risk job was elevated during the first three pandemic waves but not in the fourth (IRRadj 0.48 95% CI 0.2-1.5). Sex did not modify the risk of hospital admission.

Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 transmission at the workplace may pose an increased risk of severe COVID-19 among spouses in low-risk jobs living with partners in high-risk jobs, which emphasizes the need for preventive measures at the workplace in future outbreaks of epidemic contagious disease. When available, effective vaccines seem essential.

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e-pub ahead of print date: 7 February 2023
Published date: 1 April 2023
Keywords: Male, Female, Humans, COVID-19/epidemiology, Spouses, SARS-CoV-2, Occupations, Hospitals

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 498817
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/498817
ISSN: 0355-3140
PURE UUID: f88386d1-3cc0-4812-98d7-17f61f5f3af9
ORCID for David Coggon: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-1930-3987

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Date deposited: 03 Mar 2025 17:32
Last modified: 04 Mar 2025 02:36

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Contributors

Author: Jens Peter Ellekilde Bonde
Author: Luise Mølenberg Begtrup
Author: David Coggon ORCID iD
Author: Johan Høy Jensen
Author: Esben Meulengracht Flachs
Author: Kristina Jakobsson
Author: Christel Nielsen
Author: Kerstin Nilsson
Author: Lars Rylander
Author: Andreas Vilhelmsson
Author: Kajsa Ugelvig Petersen
Author: Sandra Søgaard Tøttenborg

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