Occupational characteristics associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in the UK Biobank during August–November 2020: a cohort study

Abstract

Background Occupational exposures may play a key role in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection risk. We used a job-exposure matrix linked to the UK Biobank to measure occupational characteristics and estimate associations with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test. Methods People reporting job titles at their baseline interview in England who were < 65 years of age in 2020 were included. Healthcare workers were excluded because of differential access to testing. Jobs were linked to the US Occupational Information Network (O*NET) job exposure matrix. O*NET-based scores were examined for occupational physical proximity, exposure to diseases/infection, working outdoors exposed to weather, and working outdoors under cover (score range = 1–5). Jobs were classified as remote work using two algorithms. SARS-CoV-2 test results were evaluated between August 5th-November 10th, 2020, when the UK was released from lockdown. Cox regression was used to calculate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs), accounting for age, sex, race, education, neighborhood deprivation, assessment center, household size, and income. Results We included 115,451 people with job titles, of whom 1746 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. A one-point increase in physical proximity score was associated with 1.14 times higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 (95%CI = 1.05–1.24). A one-point increase in the exposure to diseases/infections score was associated with 1.09 times higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 (95%CI = 1.02–1.16). People reporting jobs that could not be done remotely had higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 regardless of the classification algorithm used (aHRs = 1.17 and 1.20). Outdoors work showed an association with SARS-CoV-2 (exposed to weather aHR = 1.06, 95%CI = 1.01–1.11; under cover aHR = 1.08, 95%CI = 1.00–1.17), but these associations were not significant after accounting for whether work could be done remotely. Conclusion People in occupations that were not amenable to remote work, required closer physical proximity, and required more general exposure to diseases/infection had higher risk of a positive SARS-CoV-2 test. These findings provide additional evidence that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an occupational disease, even outside of the healthcare setting, and indicate that strategies for mitigating transmission in in-person work settings will remain important.

The impact of occupational exposures on infection rates during the COVID-19 pandemic: a test-negative design study with register data of 207 034 Dutch workers

“…The minimally adjusted analyses showed that occupational exposures are associated with a positive test, which is in line with previous research on occupational exposure and COVID-19 infections ( 31 – 33 ). After correcting for other factors including children living at home and residence area, occupational exposure to Sars-Cov-2 still elevated the risk to be infected but became smaller for all dimensions and across all pandemic waves.…”

Occupational risks associated with severe COVID-19 disease and SARS-CoV-2 infection – a Swedish national case-control study conducted from October 2020 to December 2021

“…In a recent study that applied the British version of the international JEM, associations were noted between SARS-CoV-2 infection and the number of contacts and social distancing, and the authors observed that in three domains -number, nature of contacts, and social distancing -there was an exposure-response relationship between the exposure levels and risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection (26). In a British study that applied the O*NET-based JEM, frequent occupational exposure to disease/infections and working in close proximity with others were associated with increased risk for a positive SARS-CoV-2 test (27). Taken together, our results and those of previous studies support the reasonable conclusion that close physical proximity in the workplace and contacts with infected/diseased persons/patients increase the risks for a positive test for SARS-CoV-2 and the clinical disease of COVID-19.…”

“…In a recent study that applied the British version of the international JEM, associations were noted between SARS-CoV-2 infection and the number of contacts and social distancing, and the authors observed that in three domains – number, nature of contacts, and social distancing – there was an exposure–response relationship between the exposure levels and risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection ( 26 ). In a British study that applied the O*NET-based JEM, frequent occupational exposure to disease/infections and working in close proximity with others were associated with increased risk for a positive SARS-CoV-2 test ( 27 ).…”

Characteristics of Asymptomatic COVID-19 In SARS-COV-2 Vaccine Trial Screening Participants

“…However, there was a more significant risk of COVID-19 infection among critical professionals, particularly those in social and educational fields [24]. Furthermore, Yanik et al studied occupational characteristics correlated with COVID-19 infection among people in the United Kingdom and discovered that the probability of COVID-19 infection was higher in jobs that did not allow for remote work [25].…”