The greatest COVID-19 risk factors for healthcare personnel (HCP) aren't patient contact or clinical duties but rather community exposure and prevalence, according to a JAMA Network Open study yesterday.
The study pulls together survey and serologic data from almost 25,000 US HCPs. It found that exposure to a positive community contact increased the likelihood of infection 3.5 times and high cumulative exposure increased the likelihood 1.8 times.
"The news is reassuring in that it shows the measures taken are working to prevent infections from spreading in healthcare facilities," said study co-author Anthony Harris, MD, MPH, in a University of Maryland press release. "Vaccination for healthcare workers, however, should remain a priority because of continual exposures in the workplace."