Low impact of regular PCR testing on presence at work site during the COVID-19 pandemic: experiences during an open observational study in Lower Saxony 2020-21

Lisa K. Seiler; Susanne Stolpe; Nils Stanislawski; Frank Stahl; Martin Witt; Rebecca Jonczyk; Stefanie Heiden; Holger Blume; Bernd Kowall; Cornelia Blume

doi:10.1186/s12889-023-15036-9

Low impact of regular PCR testing on presence at work site during the COVID-19 pandemic: experiences during an open observational study in Lower Saxony 2020-21

Lisa K. Seiler, Susanne Stolpe, Nils Stanislawski, Frank Stahl, Martin Witt, Rebecca Jonczyk, Stefanie Heiden, Holger Blume, Bernd Kowall, Cornelia Blume^*

^*Korrespondierende*r Autor*in für diese Arbeit

Universitätsklinikum Essen

Publikation: Beitrag in Fachzeitschrift › Artikel › Forschung › Peer-Review

Abstract

Background
Since social distancing during the COVID-19-pandemic had a profound impact on professional life, this study investigated the effect of PCR testing on on-site work.

Methods
PCR screening, antibody testing, and questionnaires offered to 4,890 working adults in Lower Saxony were accompanied by data collection on demographics, family status, comorbidities, social situation, health-related behavior, and the number of work-related contacts. Relative risks (RR) with 95 % confidence intervals were estimated for the associations between regular PCR testing and other work and health-related variables, respectively, and working on-site. Analyses were stratified by the suitability of work tasks for mobile office.

Results
Between April 2020 and February 2021, 1,643 employees underwent PCR testing. Whether mobile working was possible strongly influenced the work behavior. Persons whose work was suitable for mobile office (mobile workers) had a lower probability of working on-site than persons whose work was not suitable for mobile office (RR = 0.09 (95 % CI: 0.07 – 0.12)). In mobile workers, regular PCR-testing was slightly associated with working on-site (RR = 1.19 (0.66; 2.14)). In those whose working place was unsuitable for mobile office, the corresponding RR was 0.94 (0.80; 1.09). Compared to persons without chronic diseases, chronically ill persons worked less often on-site if their workplace was suitable for mobile office (RR = 0.73 (0.40; 1.33)), but even more often if their workplace was not suitable for mobile office (RR = 1.17 (1.04; 1.33)).

Conclusion
If work was suitable for mobile office, regular PCR-testing did not have a strong effect on presence at the work site.

Trial registration
An ethics vote of the responsible medical association (Lower Saxony, Germany) retrospectively approved the evaluation of the collected subject data in a pseudonymized form in the context of medical studies (No. Bo/30/2020; Bo/31/2020; Bo/32/2020).

Originalsprache	Englisch
Aufsatznummer	240
Fachzeitschrift	BMC PUBLIC HEALTH
Jahrgang	23
Ausgabenummer	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15036-9
Publikationsstatus	Veröffentlicht - 3 Feb. 2023

UN-Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung (SDGs)

2015 einigten sich die UN-Mitgliedstaaten auf 17 globale Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung (Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs) zur Beendigung von Armut, zum Schutz des Planeten und zur Förderung des allgemeinen Wohlstands. Hiermit leisten wir einen Beitrag zu folgendem/n Ziel(en) für nachhaltige Entwicklung (SDGs):

SDG 3 Gute Gesundheit und Wohlergehen

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Öffentliche Gesundheit, Umwelt- und Arbeitsmedizin

Zugriff auf Dokument

10.1186/s12889-023-15036-9Lizenz: CC BY 4.0

Andere Dateien und Links

Verknüpfung zur Publikation in Scopus

MCA: Mobile Corona-Analytik - Niedersächsisches Modellprojekt
Scheper, T. (Projektleiter*in (Principal Investigator)), Heiden, S. (Leitende*r Forscher*in (Co-Principal Investigator)), Heisterkamp, A. (beteiligte*r Wissenschaftler*in (Co-Investigator)), Stahl, F. (beteiligte*r Wissenschaftler*in (Co-Investigator)), Blume, C. (beteiligte*r Wissenschaftler*in (Co-Investigator)), Beutel, S. (beteiligte*r Wissenschaftler*in (Co-Investigator)), Blume, H. C. (beteiligte*r Wissenschaftler*in (Co-Investigator)), Stanislawski, N. H. (Projektmitarbeiter*in), Seiler, L. K. (Projektmitarbeiter*in), Jonczyk, R. (Projektmitarbeiter*in), Fahnemann, C. B. C. (Projektmitarbeiter*in), Lange, F. H. (Projektmitarbeiter*in) & Riggers, C. (Projektmitarbeiter*in)
1 März 2020 → 31 Dez. 2021
Projekt: Forschung

MCA Dataset
Stanislawski, N. (Urheber*in), Lange, F. (Urheber*in), Fahnemann, C. (Urheber*in), Riggers, C. (Urheber*in), Wahalla, M.-N. (Urheber*in), Porr, M. (Urheber*in), Jonczyk, R. (Urheber*in), Thoms, S. (Urheber*in), Witt, M. (Urheber*in), Stahl, F. (Urheber*in), Beutel, S. (Urheber*in), Blume, H. (Urheber*in) & Blume, C. (Urheber*in), Forschungsdaten-Repositorium der LUH, 30 Sept. 2022
DOI: 10.25835/jt0dobsz, https://data.uni-hannover.de/dataset/47f544cc-b709-4cf0-aaf5-f21a9a82230f
Datensatz: Dataset

Dieses zitieren

Seiler, L. K., Stolpe, S., Stanislawski, N., Stahl, F., Witt, M., Jonczyk, R., Heiden, S., Blume, H., Kowall, B., & Blume, C. (2023). Low impact of regular PCR testing on presence at work site during the COVID-19 pandemic: experiences during an open observational study in Lower Saxony 2020-21. BMC PUBLIC HEALTH, 23(1), Artikel 240. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15036-9

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title = "Low impact of regular PCR testing on presence at work site during the COVID-19 pandemic: experiences during an open observational study in Lower Saxony 2020-21",

abstract = "BackgroundSince social distancing during the COVID-19-pandemic had a profound impact on professional life, this study investigated the effect of PCR testing on on-site work.MethodsPCR screening, antibody testing, and questionnaires offered to 4,890 working adults in Lower Saxony were accompanied by data collection on demographics, family status, comorbidities, social situation, health-related behavior, and the number of work-related contacts. Relative risks (RR) with 95 % confidence intervals were estimated for the associations between regular PCR testing and other work and health-related variables, respectively, and working on-site. Analyses were stratified by the suitability of work tasks for mobile office.ResultsBetween April 2020 and February 2021, 1,643 employees underwent PCR testing. Whether mobile working was possible strongly influenced the work behavior. Persons whose work was suitable for mobile office (mobile workers) had a lower probability of working on-site than persons whose work was not suitable for mobile office (RR = 0.09 (95 % CI: 0.07 – 0.12)). In mobile workers, regular PCR-testing was slightly associated with working on-site (RR = 1.19 (0.66; 2.14)). In those whose working place was unsuitable for mobile office, the corresponding RR was 0.94 (0.80; 1.09). Compared to persons without chronic diseases, chronically ill persons worked less often on-site if their workplace was suitable for mobile office (RR = 0.73 (0.40; 1.33)), but even more often if their workplace was not suitable for mobile office (RR = 1.17 (1.04; 1.33)).ConclusionIf work was suitable for mobile office, regular PCR-testing did not have a strong effect on presence at the work site.Trial registrationAn ethics vote of the responsible medical association (Lower Saxony, Germany) retrospectively approved the evaluation of the collected subject data in a pseudonymized form in the context of medical studies (No. Bo/30/2020; Bo/31/2020; Bo/32/2020).",

keywords = "COVID-19, Home Office, PCR test, Workplace safety",

author = "Seiler, {Lisa K.} and Susanne Stolpe and Nils Stanislawski and Frank Stahl and Martin Witt and Rebecca Jonczyk and Stefanie Heiden and Holger Blume and Bernd Kowall and Cornelia Blume",

note = "Funding Information: The project group would like to thank Dr. Corinna Hau{\ss} (MVZ Labor Limbach Hannover GbR) and Dipl.-Ing. Jan V{\"o}ckler for their support and advice. We further thank several PhD students at the Institutes of Technical Chemistry and Microelectronic Systems (Leibniz University Hannover, Hanover, Germany) for intense work on both PCR- and antibody testing as well as technical and organizational support in this project. Furthermore, we thank the medical and dental students from the Hannover Medical School (MHH) and from the university in Goettingen for their support registering subjects and taking swabs. We thank Nils Hoppe and his team for their support of the study{\textquoteright}s ethical vote and procedures with regard to data protection (Centre of Ethics and Law in the Life Sciences, Leibniz University Hannover, Hanover, Germany). Funding Information: Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. The study was partially financed by state funds from the Ministry of Economics of Lower Saxony. The Ministry of Economics had no role in the design and conduct of the project or related studies; data collection, management, analysis, or interpretation; or writing of this article.",

year = "2023",

month = feb,

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doi = "10.1186/s12889-023-15036-9",

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journal = "BMC PUBLIC HEALTH",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Low impact of regular PCR testing on presence at work site during the COVID-19 pandemic: experiences during an open observational study in Lower Saxony 2020-21

AU - Seiler, Lisa K.

AU - Stolpe, Susanne

AU - Stanislawski, Nils

AU - Stahl, Frank

AU - Witt, Martin

AU - Jonczyk, Rebecca

AU - Heiden, Stefanie

AU - Blume, Holger

AU - Kowall, Bernd

AU - Blume, Cornelia

N1 - Funding Information: The project group would like to thank Dr. Corinna Hauß (MVZ Labor Limbach Hannover GbR) and Dipl.-Ing. Jan Vöckler for their support and advice. We further thank several PhD students at the Institutes of Technical Chemistry and Microelectronic Systems (Leibniz University Hannover, Hanover, Germany) for intense work on both PCR- and antibody testing as well as technical and organizational support in this project. Furthermore, we thank the medical and dental students from the Hannover Medical School (MHH) and from the university in Goettingen for their support registering subjects and taking swabs. We thank Nils Hoppe and his team for their support of the study’s ethical vote and procedures with regard to data protection (Centre of Ethics and Law in the Life Sciences, Leibniz University Hannover, Hanover, Germany). Funding Information: Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. The study was partially financed by state funds from the Ministry of Economics of Lower Saxony. The Ministry of Economics had no role in the design and conduct of the project or related studies; data collection, management, analysis, or interpretation; or writing of this article.

PY - 2023/2/3

Y1 - 2023/2/3

N2 - BackgroundSince social distancing during the COVID-19-pandemic had a profound impact on professional life, this study investigated the effect of PCR testing on on-site work.MethodsPCR screening, antibody testing, and questionnaires offered to 4,890 working adults in Lower Saxony were accompanied by data collection on demographics, family status, comorbidities, social situation, health-related behavior, and the number of work-related contacts. Relative risks (RR) with 95 % confidence intervals were estimated for the associations between regular PCR testing and other work and health-related variables, respectively, and working on-site. Analyses were stratified by the suitability of work tasks for mobile office.ResultsBetween April 2020 and February 2021, 1,643 employees underwent PCR testing. Whether mobile working was possible strongly influenced the work behavior. Persons whose work was suitable for mobile office (mobile workers) had a lower probability of working on-site than persons whose work was not suitable for mobile office (RR = 0.09 (95 % CI: 0.07 – 0.12)). In mobile workers, regular PCR-testing was slightly associated with working on-site (RR = 1.19 (0.66; 2.14)). In those whose working place was unsuitable for mobile office, the corresponding RR was 0.94 (0.80; 1.09). Compared to persons without chronic diseases, chronically ill persons worked less often on-site if their workplace was suitable for mobile office (RR = 0.73 (0.40; 1.33)), but even more often if their workplace was not suitable for mobile office (RR = 1.17 (1.04; 1.33)).ConclusionIf work was suitable for mobile office, regular PCR-testing did not have a strong effect on presence at the work site.Trial registrationAn ethics vote of the responsible medical association (Lower Saxony, Germany) retrospectively approved the evaluation of the collected subject data in a pseudonymized form in the context of medical studies (No. Bo/30/2020; Bo/31/2020; Bo/32/2020).

AB - BackgroundSince social distancing during the COVID-19-pandemic had a profound impact on professional life, this study investigated the effect of PCR testing on on-site work.MethodsPCR screening, antibody testing, and questionnaires offered to 4,890 working adults in Lower Saxony were accompanied by data collection on demographics, family status, comorbidities, social situation, health-related behavior, and the number of work-related contacts. Relative risks (RR) with 95 % confidence intervals were estimated for the associations between regular PCR testing and other work and health-related variables, respectively, and working on-site. Analyses were stratified by the suitability of work tasks for mobile office.ResultsBetween April 2020 and February 2021, 1,643 employees underwent PCR testing. Whether mobile working was possible strongly influenced the work behavior. Persons whose work was suitable for mobile office (mobile workers) had a lower probability of working on-site than persons whose work was not suitable for mobile office (RR = 0.09 (95 % CI: 0.07 – 0.12)). In mobile workers, regular PCR-testing was slightly associated with working on-site (RR = 1.19 (0.66; 2.14)). In those whose working place was unsuitable for mobile office, the corresponding RR was 0.94 (0.80; 1.09). Compared to persons without chronic diseases, chronically ill persons worked less often on-site if their workplace was suitable for mobile office (RR = 0.73 (0.40; 1.33)), but even more often if their workplace was not suitable for mobile office (RR = 1.17 (1.04; 1.33)).ConclusionIf work was suitable for mobile office, regular PCR-testing did not have a strong effect on presence at the work site.Trial registrationAn ethics vote of the responsible medical association (Lower Saxony, Germany) retrospectively approved the evaluation of the collected subject data in a pseudonymized form in the context of medical studies (No. Bo/30/2020; Bo/31/2020; Bo/32/2020).

KW - COVID-19

KW - Home Office

KW - PCR test

KW - Workplace safety

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DO - 10.1186/s12889-023-15036-9

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JF - BMC PUBLIC HEALTH

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ER -

Low impact of regular PCR testing on presence at work site during the COVID-19 pandemic: experiences during an open observational study in Lower Saxony 2020-21

Abstract

UN-Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung (SDGs)

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Zugriff auf Dokument

Andere Dateien und Links

Projekte

MCA: Mobile Corona-Analytik - Niedersächsisches Modellprojekt

Datasets

MCA Dataset

Dieses zitieren