Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39574031›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2024

Occupational risks of COVID-19: a case-cohort study using health insurance claims data in Germany.

Karla Romero Starke, René Mauer, Janice Hegewald, Ulrich Bolm-Audorff, Gabriela Brückner, Katrin Schüssel, Helmut Schröder, Andreas Seidler

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. SARS-CoV-2 infection risk by non-healthcare occupations: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of occupational medicine and toxicology (London, England) · 2025
    Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Karla Romero StarkeInstitute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany. karla.romero_starke@tu-dresden.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6614-2381
René MauerInstitute for Medical Informatics and Biometry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-6060-6782
Janice HegewaldInstitute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3388-161X
Ulrich Bolm-AudorffInstitute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0008-0921-5389
Gabriela BrücknerAOK Research Institute (WIdO), Berlin, Germany.
Katrin SchüsselAOK Research Institute (WIdO), Berlin, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8377-2254
Helmut SchröderAOK Research Institute (WIdO), Berlin, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0008-1447-6794
Andreas SeidlerInstitute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8107-8971

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundStudies on occupation and COVID-19 infection that cover a range of occupational groups and adjust for important confounders are lacking. This study aimed to estimate occupational risks of hospitalization with COVID-19 by taking into account sociodemographic factors and previous comorbidities.

methodsWe applied a case-cohort design using workers insured with one of Germany's largest statutory health insurers as a data source for occupational and demographical information as well as for information on comorbidities. Cox regression models with denominator weights for cases and controls assessed relative risks of hospitalization with COVID-19 in 2020.

resultsThe study consisted of 11,202 COVID-19 cases and 249,707 non-cases. After adjusting for age, sex, number of pre-existing comorbidities, and socioeconomic status, we found at least doubled risks for occupations in theology and church work (HR = 3.05; 95% CI 1.93-4.82), occupations in healthcare (HR = 2.74; 95% CI 2.46-3.05), for bus and tram divers (HR = 2.46; 95% CI 2.04-2.97), occupations in meat processing (HR = 2.16; 95% CI 1.57-2.98), and professional drivers in passenger transport (e.g. taxi drivers) (HR = 2.00; 95% CI 1.59-2.51). In addition, occupations in property marketing and management, social workers, laboratory workers, occupations in personal care (e.g. hairdressers), occupations in housekeeping and occupations in gastronomy all had statistically significantly increased risks compared to the reference population (administrative workers).

conclusionsWe identified occupations with increased risks for hospitalization with COVID-19. For those having a doubled risk it can be assumed that COVID-19 diseases are predominantly occupationally related. By identifying high-risk occupations in non-healthcare professions, effective measures to prevent infections in the workplace can be developed, also in case of a future pandemic.

Indexed as

COVID-19AdultAgedCase-Control StudiesCohort StudiesComorbidityFemaleGermanyHospitalizationHumansInsurance Claim ReviewInsurance, HealthMaleMiddle AgedOccupational ExposureOccupationsCOVID-19Hospitalization riskOccupationSARS-CoV-2Work

Identifiers

PMID39574031
PMCPMC11580653

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.