High rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection in funeral home workers in Ecuador: Is it an occupational risk for COVID-19?
Front Public Health
; 10: 1012434, 2022.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36438256
Aim: The COVID-19 outbreak has already caused more than 6.5 million deaths, overwhelming health systems worldwide. The unusual demand for funeral home services could make these workers a potential risk group for occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 associated with corpses management for COVID-19 patients. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study aimed to describe the infection rate of SARS-CoV-2 in funeral home staff by testing them with RT-qPCR in Quito, Ecuador. A total of 232 funeral home workers, representing more than 40% of funeral home personnel in Quito, were included in the study, in June 2020, immediately after the population lockdown was lifted in Ecuador. Results: A total of 48 individuals tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, yielding an infection rate of 20.7%. The SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was 18.1 and 20.0% among personnel managing corpses or not managing corpses, respectively. Among the SARS-CoV-2 positive patients, 81.3% reported no symptoms related to COVID-19, and 3 individuals had high viral loads over 108 copies/ml. Conclusion: The high SARS-CoV-2 infection rate in funeral home staff suggested a potential occupational risk for COVID-19 but not related to corpses management. Public health guidelines for safe corpses management for COVID-19 victims and safe funeral services should be reinforced.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Funerárias
/
COVID-19
Tipo de estudo:
Etiology_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Humans
País/Região como assunto:
America do sul
/
Ecuador
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Front Public Health
Ano de publicação:
2022
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Equador
País de publicação:
Suíça