Epidemiological characteristics of first-time SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection among hospital staff in Chengdu, China

Abstract

Background After China ended its ‘dynamic zero-COVID policy’ on 7 December 2022, a large-scale outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infections emerged across the country. We conducted a hospital-wide prospective study to document the epidemiological characteristics of the outbreak among healthcare workers in a hospital of Chengdu, where no previous staff SARS-CoV-2 infections were detected. Methods All hospital staff members were invited to complete an online questionnaire on COVID-19 in January 2023, and SARS-CoV-2 infection cases were followed up by telephone in June 2023 to collect data on long COVID. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the risk factors of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results A total of 2,899 hospital staff (93.5%) completed the online questionnaire, and 86.4% were infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron. The clinical manifestations of these patients were characterized by a high incidence of systemic symptoms. Cough (83.3%), fatigue (79.8%) and fever (74.3%) were the most frequently reported symptoms. Multivariable logistic analysis revealed that females [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.48, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.13–1.96] and clinical practitioners (aOR: 9.66, 95% CI: 6.24–14.96) were associated with an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, whereas advanced age ≥ 60 years (aOR: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.21–0.53) and full COVID-19 vaccination with the latest dose administered 1–3 months before 7 December 2022 (aOR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.22–0.77) were associated with reduced risk. Only 4.27% cases suffered from long COVID of fatigue, brain fog or both, and for the majority of them, the symptoms were minor. Conclusion Our findings provide a snapshot of the epidemiological situation of SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers in Chengdu after China's deregulation of COVID-19 control. Data in the study can aid in the development and implementation of effective measures to protect healthcare workers and maintain the integrity of healthcare systems during challenging times such as a rapid and widespread Omicron outbreak.