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Post-COVID Symptoms in Occupational Cohorts: Effects on Health and Work Ability

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  • Nicola Magnavita

    (Post-Graduate School of Occupational Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
    Department of Woman, Child and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
    Occupational Health Service, Local Health Unit Roma 4, 00053 Civitavecchia, Italy)

  • Gabriele Arnesano

    (Post-Graduate School of Occupational Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy)

  • Reparata Rosa Di Prinzio

    (Post-Graduate School of Occupational Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
    Health Systems and Service Research, Post-Graduate School of Health Economics and Management, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy)

  • Martina Gasbarri

    (Post-Graduate School of Occupational Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
    Occupational Health Service, Local Health Unit Roma 4, 00053 Civitavecchia, Italy)

  • Igor Meraglia

    (Post-Graduate School of Occupational Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy)

  • Marco Merella

    (Post-Graduate School of Occupational Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy)

  • Maria Eugenia Vacca

    (Post-Graduate School of Occupational Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy)

Abstract

Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome is frequently observed in workers and has a substantial impact on work ability. We conducted a health promotion program to identify cases of post-COVID syndrome, analyze the distribution of symptoms and their association with work ability. Of the 1422 workers who underwent routine medical examination in 2021, 1378 agreed to participate. Among the latter, 164 had contracted SARS-CoV-2 and 115 (70% of those who were infected) had persistent symptoms. A cluster analysis showed that most of the post-COVID syndrome cases were characterized by sensory disturbances (anosmia and dysgeusia) and fatigue (weakness, fatigability, tiredness). In one-fifth of these cases, additional symptoms included dyspnea, tachycardia, headache, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and muscle aches. Workers with post-COVID were found to have poorer quality sleep, increased fatigue, anxiety, depression, and decreased work ability compared with workers whose symptoms had rapidly disappeared. It is important for the occupational physician to diagnose post-COVID syndrome in the workplace since this condition may require a temporary reduction in work tasks and supportive treatment.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicola Magnavita & Gabriele Arnesano & Reparata Rosa Di Prinzio & Martina Gasbarri & Igor Meraglia & Marco Merella & Maria Eugenia Vacca, 2023. "Post-COVID Symptoms in Occupational Cohorts: Effects on Health and Work Ability," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(9), pages 1-13, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:9:p:5638-:d:1132413
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Nicola Magnavita & Giovanni Tripepi & Reparata Rosa Di Prinzio, 2020. "Symptoms in Health Care Workers during the COVID-19 Epidemic. A Cross-Sectional Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-15, July.
    2. Katrin Müller & Iris Poppele & Marcel Ottiger & Katharina Zwingmann & Ivo Berger & Andreas Thomas & Alois Wastlhuber & Franziska Ortwein & Anna-Lena Schultz & Anna Weghofer & Eva Wilhelm & Rainer-Chri, 2023. "Impact of Rehabilitation on Physical and Neuropsychological Health of Patients Who Acquired COVID-19 in the Workplace," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-21, January.
    3. Nicola Magnavita & Paolo Maurizio Soave & Massimo Antonelli, 2022. "Treating Anti-Vax Patients, a New Occupational Stressor—Data from the 4th Wave of the Prospective Study of Intensivists and COVID-19 (PSIC)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-13, May.
    4. Maddalena Grazzini & Lucrezia Ginevra Lulli & Nicola Mucci & Diana Paolini & Antonio Baldassarre & Veronica Gallinoro & Annarita Chiarelli & Fabrizio Niccolini & Giulio Arcangeli, 2022. "Return to Work of Healthcare Workers after SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Determinants of Physical and Mental Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-13, June.
    5. Cristina Delgado-Alonso & Constanza Cuevas & Silvia Oliver-Mas & María Díez-Cirarda & Alfonso Delgado-Álvarez & María José Gil-Moreno & Jorge Matías-Guiu & Jordi A. Matias-Guiu, 2022. "Fatigue and Cognitive Dysfunction Are Associated with Occupational Status in Post-COVID Syndrome," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-9, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Joseph Kwon & Ruairidh Milne & Clare Rayner & Román Rocha Lawrence & Jordan Mullard & Ghazala Mir & Brendan Delaney & Manoj Sivan & Stavros Petrou, 2024. "Impact of Long COVID on productivity and informal caregiving," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 25(7), pages 1095-1115, September.
    2. David Monier & Paul Bonjean & Pierre Carcasset & Martine Moulin & Bruno Pozzetto & Elisabeth Botelho-Nevers & Luc Fontana & Carole Pelissier, 2023. "Factors Contributing to Delayed Return to Work among French Healthcare Professionals Afflicted by COVID-19 at a Hospital in the Rhône-Alpes Region, 2021," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(21), pages 1-8, October.

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