Study Finds Work-Related Factors Can Increase Risk of Long COVID

A new population-based study from Spain found that “work-related factors may increase the risk of developing long COVID.” CIDRAP has the news.

The findings suggest that “the primary work-related drivers of increased long COVID risk were irregular or limited use of respirators, close contact with coworkers and/or the public, inability to physically distance, and use of public transportation to commute to work.”

European researchers looked at data from 2,054 employed adults ages 40 to 69 from 2020 to 2023 who were diagnosed with COVID-19 at some point. About one in four of those people (23.7%) developed long COVID. There were certain non-work-related factors associated with higher risk, including “female sex, obesity, multiple underlying conditions, and more severe or repeated infections,” but occupation emerged as a “strong and independent determinant of risk.”

Specific workplace conditions that were tied to amplified risk included “working onsite during the pandemic (57% higher risk than telework), inconsistent use of high-filtration respirators (52% higher risk), and regularly commuting by public transportation (58%).” Highest-risk occupations included “healthcare and social workers, teachers, retail workers, transport workers, and security staff.” Vaccination before infection and “first infection during the Omicron-dominant pandemic period were both associated with substantially lower long-COVID risk, as was older age.”