AUTHOR=Gholami Mandana , Fawad Iman , Shadan Sidra , Rowaiee Rashed , Ghanem HedaietAllah , Khamis Amar Hassan , Ho Samuel B. 

TITLE=The COVID-19 Pandemic and Health and Care Workers: Findings From a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2020–2021)

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 68 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2023.1605421

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2023.1605421

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted health and care workers globally. This study aims to document emerging evidence on infection rates, clinical outcomes, and vaccination rates of HCWs. 

Methods: Three databases were surveyed resulting on 108 final articles between July-December 2020 (period 1) and January-June 2021 (period 2).  

Results: 980,000 HCWs were identified. In period 1, the estimates were 6.1% (95% CI, 4.1 – 8.8) for the PCR positivity rate. Regarding outcomes, the hospitalization prevalence was 1.6% (95% CI, 0.7-3.9), and mortality rate of 0.3% (95% CI, 0.1 –0.8). In period 2, the PCR positivity rate was 8.1% (95% CI, 4.6 – 13.8). Analysis of outcomes revealed a hospitalization rate of 0.7% (95% CI 0.3-1.8), and average mortality rate of 0.3% (95% CI 0.1-0.9). Our analysis indicated a HCW vaccination rate of 59.0% (95% CI, 39.4-76.1). 

Conclusion:  Compared with the earlier half of 2020, our analysis affirm a declining trend of PCR positivity among HCWs, as well as improved clinical outcomes in the one-year period of exposure. These results correlate well with the improving uptake of COVID-19 vaccination globally.