SynthesisBMJ global health2020
Infection and mortality of healthcare workers worldwide from COVID-19: a systematic review.
Synthesis in BMJ global health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 352 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
352 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- A Systematic Review of Worldwide Guidelines, Protocols, and Health Care Standards for Provision of Palliative Care Services in Progressive Neurological Disorders.Journal of nursing scholarship : an official publication of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing · 2026Pooled it
- Impact of occupational stress on healthcare workers' family members before and during COVID-19: A systematic review.PloS one · 2024Pooled it
- Health worker education during the COVID-19 pandemic: global disruption, responses and lessons for the future-a systematic review and meta-analysis.Human resources for health · 2023Pooled it
- Efficacy of personal protective equipment to prevent environmental infection of COVID-19 among healthcare workers: a systematic review.Environmental health and preventive medicine · 2023Pooled it
- Risk of COVID-19 infection and the associated hospitalization, ICU admission and mortality in opioid use disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Addiction science & clinical practice · 2022Pooled it
- The Work Environment during Coronavirus Epidemics and Pandemics: A Systematic Review of Studies Using Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed-Methods Designs.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among nurses: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of clinical nursing · 2022Pooled it
- COVID-19 pandemic-related mortality, infection, symptoms, complications, comorbidities, and other aspects of physical health among healthcare workers globally: An umbrella review.International journal of nursing studies · 2022Pooled it
- Postvaccination SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of medical virology · 2022Pooled it
- Barriers and facilitators to implementing laparoscopic surgery in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review using the consolidated framework for implementation research.Surgical endoscopy · 2026Review
- COVID-19 and Suicide Mortality in a Population-Based Medico-Legal Registry: An Interrupted Time-Series and Changepoint Analysis from Southeast Romania.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Strengthening pandemic preparedness and response through undergraduate education in biomedical and health sciences: A mixed-methods study from Georgia.Journal of public health research · 2026Article
- Healthcare Workers' Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Personal Protective Equipment in Reducing the Risk of COVID-19 Infection from 2020 to 2022.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Perspectives of senior health managers on COVID-19 response and challenges, lessons learned and opportunities against future outbreaks in Gauteng province, South Africa.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Psychosocial Impact of COVID-19 on Intensive Care Unit Personnel: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Survey Assessment Before, During, and After the First Peak.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Incidence and risk factors of COVID-19 infection in healthcare workers at a tertiary referral centre: from the first to the sixth wave of the pandemic.Central European journal of public health · 2026Observational
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- The COVID-19 Pandemic as a Lesson: WHO Actions Versus the Expectations of Medical Staff-Evidence from Poland.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
292 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
64 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo estimate COVID-19 infections and deaths in healthcare workers (HCWs) from a global perspective during the early phases of the pandemic.
designSystematic review.
methodsTwo parallel searches of academic bibliographic databases and grey literature were undertaken until 8 May 2020. Governments were also contacted for further information where possible. There were no restrictions on language, information sources used, publication status and types of sources of evidence. The AACODS checklist or the National Institutes of Health study quality assessment tools were used to appraise each source of evidence. OUTCOME MEASURES: Publication characteristics, country-specific data points, COVID-19-specific data, demographics of affected HCWs and public health measures employed.
resultsA total of 152 888 infections and 1413 deaths were reported. Infections were mainly in women (71.6%, n=14 058) and nurses (38.6%, n=10 706), but deaths were mainly in men (70.8%, n=550) and doctors (51.4%, n=525). Limited data suggested that general practitioners and mental health nurses were the highest risk specialities for deaths. There were 37.2 deaths reported per 100 infections for HCWs aged over 70 years. Europe had the highest absolute numbers of reported infections (119 628) and deaths (712), but the Eastern Mediterranean region had the highest number of reported deaths per 100 infections (5.7).
conclusionsCOVID-19 infections and deaths among HCWs follow that of the general population around the world. The reasons for gender and specialty differences require further exploration, as do the low rates reported in Africa and India. Although physicians working in certain specialities may be considered high risk due to exposure to oronasal secretions, the risk to other specialities must not be underestimated. Elderly HCWs may require assigning to less risky settings such as telemedicine or administrative positions. Our pragmatic approach provides general trends, and highlights the need for universal guidelines for testing and reporting of infections in HCWs.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.