Infection And Case Fatality Rate Of Healthcare Workers From COVID-19: A Cross‑Sectional Study In Azad Kashmir

Abstract

Background:The pandemic COVID-19 disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a significant health problem globally. In the wake of ongoing pandemic (COVID-19), services of healthcare workers are noteworthy. Health-care workers (HCWs) warrant special attention because of their substantial task of diagnosing and treating critically ill patients putting themselves at the risk for exposure to patients or infectious materials. The aim of this study was to estimate the number of COVID-19 infections and case fatality rate of HCWs in Azad Kashmir during the pandemic period. Methods: A Descriptive, cross-sectional was carried out in the COVID 19 Sentinel Unit, in Directorate General Health Office Muzaffarabad from March 15, 2020 to October 12, 2021. The study population included HCWs of different ranks working in either public or private hospitals in Azad Kashmir. Non-probability, consecutive sampling technique was used for sample collection. Both symptomatic and asymptomatic HCWs were tested for COVID-19 with a Real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) following the standard protocol. COVID-19 positivity was correlated with demographic characteristics, working location, and medical history. Results: A total of 962 laboratory-confirmed infections and 9 deaths were documented in HCWs with a mean age of 35.16 with SD 11.24 years, ranging 18 to 70 years.  Infections were mainly observed in doctors (64.2%), followed by paramedical staff (28.5 %) and nurses (7.3%, n=76).  A significant number of infected HCWs were asymptomatic (67.9%), while in symptomatic patients, the most prevalent symptoms were fever 35.4%%, myalgia (42%) and cough (41.4%). Total number of deaths was 9, out of which 6 were doctors (66.7%). The highest case fatality rate was highest in nurses. Conclusion: A significant number of HCW were reported to be infected with COVID-19 during COVID-19 pandemic, with overall case fatality rate of 0.93%.