Not sick enough to worry? "Influenza-like" symptoms and work-related behavior among healthcare workers and other professionals: Results of a global survey

Ermira Tartari; Katja Saris; Nikki Kenters; Kalisvar Marimuthu; Andreas Widmer; Peter Collignon; Vincent C C Cheng; Shuk C Wong; Thomas Gottlieb; Paul A Tambyah; Eli Perencevich; Benedetta Allegranzi; Angela Dramowski; Michael B Edmond; Andreas Voss; International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Infection and Prevention Control (ISAC-IPC) Working Group

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0232168

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Not sick enough to worry? "Influenza-like" symptoms and work-related behavior among healthcare workers and other professionals: Results of a global survey

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Not sick enough to worry? "Influenza-like" symptoms and work-related behavior among healthcare workers and other professionals: Results of a global survey

Ermira Tartari, Katja Saris, Nikki Kenters, Kalisvar Marimuthu, Andreas Widmer, Peter Collignon, Vincent C C Cheng, Shuk C Wong, Thomas Gottlieb, Paul A Tambyah, …

PloS one, Vol.15(5), pp.e0232168-e0232168

2020

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232168

PMID: 32401751

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Abstract

Healthcare workers (HCWs) and non-HCWs may contribute to the transmission of influenza-like illness (ILI) to colleagues and susceptible patients by working while sick (presenteeism). The present study aimed to explore the views and behavior of HCWs and non-HCWs towards the phenomenon of working while experiencing ILI. The study was a cross-sectional online survey conducted between October 2018 and January 2019 to explore sickness presenteeism and the behaviour of HCWs and non-HCWs when experiencing ILI. The survey questionnaire was distributed to the members and international networks of the International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (ISAC) Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Working Group, as well as via social media platforms, including LinkedIn, Twitter and IPC Blog. In total, 533 respondents from 49 countries participated (Europe 69.2%, Asia-Pacific 19.1%, the Americas 10.9%, and Africa 0.8%) representing 249 HCWs (46.7%) and 284 non-HCWs (53.2%). Overall, 312 (58.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 56.2-64.6) would continue to work when sick with ILI, with no variation between the two categories. Sixty-seven (26.9%) HCWs and forty-six (16.2%) non-HCWs would work with fever alone (p<0 .01) Most HCWs (89.2-99.2%) and non-HCWs (80%-96.5%) would work with "minor" ILI symptoms, such as sore throat, sinus cold, fatigue, sneezing, runny nose, mild cough and reduced appetite. A future strategy to successfully prevent the transmission of ILI in healthcare settings should address sick-leave policy management, in addition to encouraging the uptake of influenza vaccine.

Details

Title: Subtitle: Not sick enough to worry? "Influenza-like" symptoms and work-related behavior among healthcare workers and other professionals: Results of a global survey
Creators: Ermira Tartari - Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
Katja Saris - REshape Center for Innovation, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Nikki Kenters - Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital (CWZ), Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Kalisvar Marimuthu - Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
Andreas Widmer - University of Basel Hospitals and Clinics, Basel, Switzerland
Peter Collignon - Medical School, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
Vincent C C Cheng - Infection Control Team, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong West Cluster, Hospital Authority, Hong Kong SAR, China
Shuk C Wong - Infection Control Team, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong West Cluster, Hospital Authority, Hong Kong SAR, China
Thomas Gottlieb - Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Paul A Tambyah - Department of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
Eli Perencevich - Divisions of General Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States of Amrerica
Benedetta Allegranzi - Infection Prevention and Control Technical and Clinical Hub, Department of Integrated Health Services, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
Angela Dramowski - Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Division of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
Michael B Edmond - University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, United States of America
Andreas Voss - REshape Center for Innovation, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Infection and Prevention Control (ISAC-IPC) Working Group
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: PloS one, Vol.15(5), pp.e0232168-e0232168
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232168
PMID: 32401751
NLM abbreviation: PLoS One
ISSN: 1932-6203
eISSN: 1932-6203
Publisher: Public Library of Science; United States
Language: English
Date published: 2020
Academic Unit: Infectious Diseases; Epidemiology; Internal Medicine
Record Identifier: 9984001164502771

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