Occupational Safety

Testing for SARS-CoV-2 in Symptomatic Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Health Care Workers During the Delta Variant Surge

Anthony Lopez
Robert Kosnik
Paul D Blanc
Brian R Taylor
Sandeep Guntur
2021
Background:

Infection with SARS- CoV- 2 in health care workers (HCWs) challenges employee health services.

Methods:

We analyzed telephone Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) hotline data over 8 weeks in 2021 during SARS- CoV- 2 Delta variant surge. We calculated COVID-19 case rates among persons-under-investigation (PUIs) for illness at two health care centers (HCs).

Results:

There were 41 COVID-19 cases among the 285 PUIs (14.4%) at the study HC and 549 (16.9%) of 3244 at the comparison HC. At the study HC, 11.7% of vaccinated PUIs versus 36.6% of unvaccinated...

Association between household exposure and cycle threshold in COVID-19 infected health care workers

Ai Chien
Sandra Domeracki
Sandeep Guntur
Kristopher Taylor
Chuanyi M Lu
Harry Lampiris
Paul D Blanc
2021
Objective

Household SARS-COV-2 contact constitutes a high-risk exposure for health care workers (HCWs). Cycle threshold (Ct) of reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction testing provides an estimate of COVID-19 viral load, which can inform clinical and workplace management. We assessed whether Ct values differed between HCWs with COVID-19 with and without household exposure.

Methods

We analyzed HCW COVID-19 cases whose Ct data could be compared. We defined low Ct at a cut-point approximating a viral load of 4.6 × 106 copies per ml. Logistic regression tested...

Chronic respiratory disease in adult outpatients in three African countries: a cross-sectional study

A B Binegdie
H Meme
A El Sony
T Haile
R Osman
B Miheso
L Zurba
M Lesosky
John Balmes
P J Burney
K Mortimer
G Devereux
2022

BACKGROUND: The greatest burden of chronic respiratory disease is in low- and middle-income countries, with recent population-based studies reporting substantial levels of obstructive and restrictive lung function.

OBJECTIVE: To characterise the common chronic respiratory diseases encountered in hospital outpatient clinics in three African countries.

METHODS This was a cross-sectional study of consecutive adult patients with chronic respiratory symptoms (>8 weeks) attending hospital outpatient departments in Ethiopia, Kenya and Sudan. Patients were assessed using a...

Occupational Hematology. 6th ed

Sammy Almashat
Robert Harrison
2021

N/A

Chapter 25: Occupational Cancer

Sammy Almashat
Robert Harrison
2021

N/A

Military Service and COPD Risk

Laura Trupin
Gabriela Schmajuk
David Ying
Edward Yelin
Paul D Blanc
2022

No abstract available

Pneumococcal pneumonia on the job: Uncovering the past story of occupational exposure to metal fumes and dust

Kjell Torén
Rajen N Naidoo
Paul D Blanc
2022

The objectives of this study are to elucidate the early history of risk for pneumococcal pneumonia from occupational exposure to metal fumes and dusts, and to demonstrate the importance of searching older literature when performing reviews. We performed manual searching for articles in the Library of the Surgeon General's Office (the precursor to Index Medicus), in the Hathi Trust database, in PubMed, andby screening reference lists in literature appearing before the introduction of PubMed. An early body of literature, from the 1890s onward, recognized that pneumonia was linked to "...

Elevated exposures to respirable crystalline silica among engineered stone fabrication workers in California, January 2019-February 2020

Krishna Surasi
Brittany Ballen
Justine L Weinberg
Barbara L Materna
Robert Harrison, MD, MPH
Kristin J Cummings
Amy Heinzerling
2022

Background: Workers fabricating engineered stone face high risk for exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) and subsequent development of silicosis. In response, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) performed targeted enforcement inspections at engineered stone fabrication worksites. We investigated RCS exposures and employer adherence to Cal/OSHA's RCS and respiratory protection standards from these inspections to assess ongoing risk to stone fabrication workers.

Methods: We extracted employee personal air...

Self-reported silica exposures and workplace protections among engineered stone fabrication workers in California

Ariana Spiegel
Kristin J Cummings
Jennifer Flattery
Robert Harrison, MD, MPH
Amy Heinzerling
2022

No abstract available

Depression, anxiety, and burnout among hospital workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

Andrea Norcini Pala
Jessica C Chuang
Ai Chien
David M Krauth
Stefano A Leitner
Nnenna M Okoye
Sadie C Costello
Robert M Rodriguez
Lila A Sheira
Gina Solomon
Sheri D Weiser
2022

Objectives: Healthcare personnel have faced unprecedented mental health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study objective is to assess differences in depression, anxiety, and burnout among healthcare personnel with various occupational roles and whether financial and job strain were associated with these mental health outcomes.

Methods: We employed an anonymous survey between July and August 2020 at an urban county hospital in California, USA. We assessed depression, anxiety, and burnout using validated scales, and asked questions on...