Time to a Negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR Predicts Delayed Return to Work After Medical Leave in COVID-19 Infected Health Care Workers

Jaime Villarreal; Sandra Valeria Nieto; Fabián Vázquez; M Teresa Del Campo; Ignacio Mahillo; Rafael E de la Hoz

doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000002336

Time to a Negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR Predicts Delayed Return to Work After Medical Leave in COVID-19 Infected Health Care Workers

J Occup Environ Med. 2021 Nov 1;63(11):970-974. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002336.

Authors

Jaime Villarreal¹, Sandra Valeria Nieto, Fabián Vázquez, M Teresa Del Campo, Ignacio Mahillo, Rafael E de la Hoz

Affiliation

¹ Department of Occupational Health and Prevention, Fundacioń Jimeńez Diaz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain (Dr Villarreal, Dr Nieto, Dr Vázquez, and Dr del Campo); Epidemiology and Statistics Unit, Health Research Institute, Fundacioń Jimeńez Diaz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain (Dr Mahillo); Division of Occupational Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York (Dr de la Hoz).

Abstract

Objective: To investigate whether HCWs return to work (RTW) after COVID-19 was associated with time to a negative viral detection test.

Methods: To evaluate the association of RTW with an undetectable RT-PCR adjusting for different factors.

Results: Three hundred seventy-five HCWs who required medical leave for COVID-19 at a hospital in Madrid. Multivariable analyses confirmed the association of delayed RTW with interval to negative PCR (ORadj 1.12, 95% CI 1.08, 1.17) as well as age, sex, and nursing staff and clinical support services compared to physicians. A predictive model based on those variables is proposed, which had an area under the receiver operating curve of 0.82.

Conclusions: Delayed RTW was associated with longer interval to a negative RT-PCR after symptom onset, adjusting for occupational category, age, and sex.

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Health Personnel
Humans
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Return to Work
SARS-CoV-2*