6 in 10 health workers with symptoms of respiratory disease say they are testing for covid
More than a third (36%) of Irish health workers (HCWS) reported a symptomatic respiratory disease in 2024 and 2025, with 63% saying that they had tested the COVVI-19, and only 37% and 22% receipt of influenza and SARS-COV-2 vaccines, respectively, respectively, influenza and sars-Cov-2, respectively Survey results to show.
The research team led by the Trinity College Dublin has collected monthly data on online questionnaires from 893 HCWS-Sélectées from all disciplines of two hospitals for at least 4 months from September 2024 to February 2025.
“HCWs are still at increased risks of transmitted infections, in particular viral infections of the upper respiratory tract,” they wrote. “In addition to the risks that these infections pose to infected HCW, there are also associated risks of nosocomial epidemics among groups of vulnerable patients.”
The results of the study were published today in Epidemiology of stewardship and anti -microbial health care.
Long stuck linked to the presence of symptoms
Three-quarters of the participants (76%) said they had a COVVI-19 infection before the study start. The median interval of the last COVVI-19 infection of the participants to study the registration was 1 year.
In total, 36% of participants said they had symptoms of respiratory disease during the study period, and an earlier diagnosis of Long Cavid (4%) was linked to developing symptoms. Among these participants, 63% reported tests for COVID-19, a frequency which, according to the authors, complies with the Irish directives of HCW.
The vast majority of COVVI-19 tests (84%) were carried out due to a symptomatic disease; Other indications included close contact of an infected person or those at high risk of serious illness. The only factor related to tests more than once was to have a pre-existing risk factor for COVVI-19 infection.
The auto-test for COVID-19 has been associated with a shorter duration since the last infection of COVVI-19 confirmed. There were 34 positive COVVI-19 test results, representing 17% of the HCW who tested and 4% of all the participants. No variable for an increased risk of a positive covid-19 test was identified.
Low vaccination rate concerning
The most common symptoms were sore throat, cough, nasal discharge and headache. Vaccine coverage was 37% for flu and 22% for COVID-19 (Primary vaccine price plus two recall doses). The older HCW and those who have a more recent SARS-COV-2 infection were more likely to receive both vaccines, while men were likely to vaccination.
The reception of the COVVI-19 vaccine is linked to reduced rates of very large covid and can therefore be used as a tool not only to prevent acute infection but to alleviate the risk of post-infectious health, recurring symptomatic episodes and missed work days.
“Self -decade symptomatic respiratory infections remain common in HCW,” wrote the researchers. “The inheritance of the pandemic in influence, with a preexisting diagnosis of the long coide associated with an increased load of symptoms, while low vaccination rates and an understanding of the factors associated with this present a challenge to the continuous attenuation of risks.”
They added that the low vaccination rate COVID-19 is particularly worrying given the association observed between long and symptomatic long-friendly infections. “The reception of the COVVI-19 vaccine is linked to reduced rates of very cocoan, and can therefore be used as a tool not only to prevent acute infection but to alleviate the risk of post-infectious health, recurring symptomatic episodes and missed work days,” the authors wrote.
