|
8�age
<br />grocery retail employees that underwent testing and completed
<br />the survey, 47% were female with an average age of 49 years.
<br />The majority (62%) of employees in this retail store were non -
<br />Caucasian minorities. Twenty-one out of 104 employees tested
<br />positive for SARS-CoV-2 indicating a point prevalence of
<br />20%. Among these SARS-CoV-2-positive employees, 91% of
<br />them had a job position with significant direct customer expo-
<br />sure compared with 59% among the SARS-CoV-2-negative
<br />employees (p=0.009). Seventy-six per cent of workers with
<br />positive tests were asymptomatic. Among the 25 smokers, only
<br />one tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (p=0.022). We did not
<br />observe statistical difference of SARS-CoV-2 status associated
<br />with protective behaviour (social distancing, use of gloves and/or
<br />masks and avoid commuting by public transportation or shared
<br />rides), nor did we find significant differences in PPE knowledge,
<br />COVID-19 perception and mental health status between SARS-
<br />CoV-2-positive and SARS-CoV-2-negative employees.
<br />Table 2 shows the distributions of workers' characteris-
<br />tics, comparing those with at least mild anxiety versus those
<br />reporting no or minimal anxiety. Ninety-nine out of 104
<br />workers (95%) completed the GAD -7 questionnaire, with 24
<br />workers (24%) reporting at least mild anxiety. We observed
<br />no statistical differences to anxiety by age, gender, smoking,
<br />alcohol consumption, marijuana use, possible SARS-CoV-2
<br />exposure, job position, commuting method and PPE use. Only
<br />46% of workers with anxiety reported they were able to prac-
<br />tice social distancing consistently at work, whereas the majority
<br />(76%) of those without reported anxiety were able to do so at
<br />work (p=0.009). Employees screening positive for anxiety also
<br />reported less consistent mask use (63%) comparing with those
<br />screened negative for anxiety (84%), although this result did
<br />not reach statistical significance (p=0.072). The COVID-19
<br />pandemic perception score, which mainly evaluated the extent
<br />of worries on getting oneself and one's family infected due to
<br />work, were equally high among employees who screened posi-
<br />tive for anxiety by GAD -7 and those who did not (median score
<br />13 vs 12, p=0.09).
<br />As to depression, there were 8 out of 99 (8%) who screened
<br />positive for at least mild depression (table 3). Workers who
<br />reported at least mild depression recorded higher proportion of
<br />possible SARS-CoV-2 exposure in the past 14 days compared
<br />with those without depression (63% vs 21%, p=0.019). Workers
<br />who screened positive for depression by PHQ-9 were less likely
<br />to practice social distancing consistently at work and more likely
<br />to commute by public transportation or shared rides, compared
<br />with those without depression (25% vs 73% and 50% vs 11%,
<br />p=0.010 and p=0.013, respectively).
<br />Employees with direct customer exposure were five times
<br />more likely to test positive on SARS-CoV-2 RT -PCR assay
<br />comparing with those without direct customer exposures (OR
<br />5.1, 95% Cl 1.1 to 24.8) after adjusting for age, gender, smoking
<br />and SARS-CoV-2 community prevalence in workers' residential
<br />cities (table 4). While cigarette smokers had an 90% risk reduc-
<br />tion in having positive SARS-CoV-2 RT -PCR assay result in the
<br />crude analysis (OR 0.1, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.6), this finding was not
<br />statistically significant after IPW adjustments. In addition, those
<br />reporting possible exposure in the past 14 days had an OR of
<br />5.0 (95% CI 1.0 to 25.1) in screening positive for depression,
<br />after adjusting for age, gender, smoking, customer -facing jobs,
<br />SARS-CoV-2 community prevalence in workers' residential cities
<br />and workers' self-reported history of anxiety and depression.
<br />The ability to practice social distancing consistently at work
<br />was inversely associated with both anxiety and depression, with
<br />adjusted OR 0.3 (95% CI 0.1 to 0.9) and 0.2 (95% CI 0.03
<br />to 0.99), respectively. Moreover, those commuting to work by
<br />foot, bike or private car demonstrated a 90% risk reduction in
<br />screening positive for depression (OR 0.1, 95% Cl 0.02 to 0.7)
<br />after accounting for potential confounders. In the sensitivity anal-
<br />ysis using truncated IPW, all significant results remained robust.
<br />In further sensitivity analysis, we categorised the workers' jobs
<br />into supervisory positions and non -supervisory positions. There
<br />were 7 out of 21 (33%) SARS-CoV-2-positive employees with
<br />supervisory positions, while among those tested negative for
<br />SARS-CoV-2 only 7.2% held a supervisory position (p=0.005).
<br />After using truncated IPW to adjust for age, gender, smoking
<br />and SARS-CoV-2 community prevalence, those with supervisory
<br />positions had an OR of 6.0 (95% CI 1.5 to 24.9) of having posi-
<br />tive SARS-CoV-2 testing results.
<br />Table 2 Characteristics of retail essential employees in a single grocery store in Massachusetts, USA presented for SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing
<br />COVID-19, RT -PCR assay testing by Generalised Anxiety Disorder Titem scale (GAD -7) screening score for anxiety
<br />At least mild anxiety (GAD -7 >4) No or minimal anxiety (GAD -7 score
<br />(N=24) <4) (N=75) P value
<br />Age, mean (SD)
<br />45.5 (13.7)
<br />50.0 (14.2)
<br />0.169
<br />Female, n (%)
<br />15(62.5%)
<br />32(42.7%)
<br />0.145
<br />Smoker, n N
<br />6(25.0%)
<br />18(24.0%)
<br />0.999
<br />Daily alcohol consumption, n (%)
<br />2 (8.3%)
<br />6(8.0%)
<br />0.999*
<br />Marijuana use, n (%)
<br />6(25.0%)
<br />7(9.3%)
<br />0.103
<br />Self-reported exposure to SARS-CoV-2-positive individual(s) in the past 14 days, n (%)
<br />9(37.5%)
<br />15(20.0%)
<br />0.142
<br />Job positions with direct customer exposure at storet, n (%)
<br />16(66.7%)
<br />48(64.0%)
<br />0.999
<br />Full-time employment status, n (%)
<br />19(79.2%)
<br />49(65.3%)
<br />0.308
<br />Ability to practice social distancing consistently at work, count (%)
<br />11 (45.8%)
<br />57(76.0%)
<br />0.009
<br />Using gloves consistently at work, count (%)
<br />19(79.2%)
<br />58(77.3%)
<br />0.886
<br />Wearing face mask consistently at work, count (%)
<br />22 (91.7%)
<br />70(93.3%)
<br />0.999*
<br />Wearing face mask consistently outside of work, count (%)
<br />15 (62.5%)
<br />63(84.0%)
<br />0.072
<br />Commute to work by foot, bike, or private car
<br />18(75.0%)
<br />67(89.3%)
<br />0.156
<br />PPE knowledge score, median (IQR)
<br />15 (14-15)
<br />15(14-15)
<br />0.867#
<br />COVID-19 perception score, median (IQR)
<br />13 (11.5-15)
<br />12 (11-14.75)
<br />0.090#
<br />*Statistics derived from Fisher's exact test.
<br />tDirect customer exposure positions include cashier, front end associate, sales associate, fresh food associate, cart attendant, janitorial crew, supervisor and manager of all levels. These are in contrast to positions mainly
<br />dealing with consumer goods or the environment, such as stocker, backroom, receiving and maintenance.
<br />tStatistics derived from Wilcoxon rank sum test with continuity correction.
<br />PPE, personal protective equipment; RT -PCR, reverse transcriptase PCR.
<br />240 Lan F -Y, et al. Occup Environ Med 2021;78:237-243. doi:10.1136/oemed-2020-106774
<br />394
<br />O
<br />N
<br />n
<br />(D
<br />0-
<br />0 O
<br />G,
<br />
|