Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40325885›Full record

ArticleOccupational medicine (Oxford, England)2025

Incidence of severe COVID-19 among 1.2 million workers in Ontario, Canada.

J Sritharan, C Song, M A Harris, T L Kirkham, B T Smith, J Kim, V H Arrandale, P A Demers

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Occupational medicine (Oxford, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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.

J SritharanOccupational Cancer Research Centre, Ontario Health, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2L3, Canada.
C SongOccupational Cancer Research Centre, Ontario Health, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2L3, Canada.
M A HarrisOccupational Cancer Research Centre, Ontario Health, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2L3, Canada.
T L KirkhamOccupational Cancer Research Centre, Ontario Health, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2L3, Canada.
B T SmithDalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3M7, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-2785-1246
J KimDalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3M7, Canada.
V H ArrandaleDalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3M7, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-9587-4207
P A DemersOccupational Cancer Research Centre, Ontario Health, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2L3, Canada.

Funding

Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development and the Ontario Health AgencyWorkplace Safety and Insurance Board
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe disproportionate impact of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on healthcare workers has been highlighted; however, there is a lack of evidence regarding other high-risk occupations and industries.

aimsThis study estimated the risk of severe COVID-19 among a large cohort of workers in Ontario, Canada.

methodsThis study used a cohort of 1.2 million workers identified using workers' compensation claims records (1983-2019). Identified workers were linked with emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations (2020-2021). Cases coded as U0.71 (virus detected, confirmed case) were identified from ED visits and hospitalizations. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI95%) for COVID-19 for each occupational group compared to all other workers in the cohort were calculated, adjusting for age and birth year. Standardized incidence ratios and 95% CI, comparing workers to the general population of Ontario were also calculated, adjusting for age, sex, year and region.

resultsA total of 10 322 severe COVID-19 cases among workers were identified through ED visits and hospitalizations. Workers in material handling (HR=1.32, CI95%=1.21-1.43), medicine and health (HR=1.27, CI95%=1.18-1.37), processing (food, water, textile) (HR=1.23, CI95%=1.12-1.36) and machining occupations (HR=1.11, CI95%=1.02-1.20) had some of the highest risks of COVID-19 when compared to all other workers in the cohort. Findings were somewhat consistent when comparing workers to the general population of Ontario.

conclusionsCertain groups of workers in this cohort demonstrated elevated risks of severe COVID-19. The findings align with previous studies and emphasize the need to include occupational surveillance methods in future pandemic preparedness in Canada.

Indexed as

COVID-19Health PersonnelAdultAgedCohort StudiesEmergency Service, HospitalFemaleHospitalizationHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedOccupational ExposureOntarioSARS-CoV-2Workers' Compensation

Identifiers

PMID40325885
PMCPMC12257933

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.