ArticleScandinavian journal of work, environment & health2023
Return-to-work rates and predictors of absence duration after COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic.
Article in Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 26 citations in OpenAlex.
- Work ability and return-to-work of patients with post-COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC public health · 2024Pooled it
- The impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on work participation, sickness absence and general practitioner consultations in the Danish population - a register-based matched cohort study.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Healthcare Consumption and Work Absenteeism of Individuals With and Without Persistent Complaints After COVID-19: The Role of Cognitive-Behavioural Factors, Neuropsychological Functioning and Depressive Symptoms.International journal of behavioral medicine · 2026Article
- Workplace Vaccination Against COVID-19 and Seasonal Influenza in the United States: A Modeling-Based Estimation of the Health and Economic Benefits for Employers and Employees.Journal of market access & health policy · 2025Article
- Long COVID-19 and longer sick leave: longitudinal study of economically active patients.ERJ open research · 2025Article
- Long-term course and factors influencing work ability and return to work in post-COVID patients 12 months after inpatient rehabilitation.Journal of occupational medicine and toxicology (London, England) · 2024Article
- The Impact of COVID-19 on Functional Capacity and Pulmonary Outcomes in the Hail Region: A Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- Post-COVID syndrome and work ability 9-12 months after a SARS-CoV-2 infection among over 9000 employees from the general population.IJID regions · 2024Article
- Assessment of search strategies in Medline to identify studies on the impact of long COVID on workability.Frontiers in research metrics and analytics · 2024Article
- Cost-effectiveness analysis of COVID-19 booster doses and oral antivirals: Case studies in the Indo-Pacific.PloS one · 2024Article
- Factors Contributing to Delayed Return to Work among French Healthcare Professionals Afflicted by COVID-19 at a Hospital in the Rhône-Alpes Region, 2021.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Observational
- Post-COVID condition or "long COVID", return-to work, and occupational health research.Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThe aim of this study was to evaluate employee return-to-work (RTW) rates and examine predictors of absence duration after COVID-19. RTW rates were referenced against RTW rates after absence due to flu-like symptoms and assessed over the course of the pandemic.
methodsRoutinely collected data from a nationally operating Dutch occupational health service was used. The data were retrieved from employees who reported sick due to COVID-19 (N=30 396) or flu-like symptoms (N=15 862). Data consisted of responses to a triage survey combined with longitudinal register-based information on sickness absence. RTW rates after COVID-19 were evaluated through Kaplan-Meier estimates and compared to RTW rates for flu-like symptoms, and between three periods with different dominant virus variants. Predictors for absence duration were examined through Cox proportional hazards models.
resultsRTW after COVID-19 was found to be notably later than after flu-like symptoms (median RTW=10 versus 6 days, respectively). On average, 5.5% of employees who contracted COVID-19 were absent for over 12 weeks. Time-to-RTW shortened as different virus variants became dominant over time. The main predictors contributing to later RTW were older age, female sex, belonging to a risk group, and the symptoms shortness of breath and fatigue.
conclusionsEstimates of the RTW rate after COVID-19 and identification of predictors may aid healthcare professionals in gaining insight into variations in the disease course and rehabilitation process. The present findings can help employers and policy-makers grasp the impact of COVID-19 on the workplace.
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