• Angus de Wilton, Eliz Kilich, Zain Chaudhry, Lucy Ck Bell, Joshua Gahir, Jane Cadman, Robert A Lever, Sarah A Logan, and UCLH COVID-19 Response Team.
• COVID-19 Response Team, Department of Infectious Diseases, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London, UK angus.dewilton@nhs.net.
• BMJ Open. 2020 Nov 26; 10 (11): e040216.

ObjectivesTo describe a cohort of self-isolating healthcare workers (HCWs) with presumed COVID-19.DesignA cross-sectional, single-centre study.SettingA large, teaching hospital based in Central London with tertiary infection services.Participants236 HCWs completed a survey distributed by internal staff email bulletin. 167 were women and 65 men.MeasuresInformation on symptomatology, exposures and health-seeking behaviour were collected from participants by self-report.ResultsThe 236 respondents reported illness compatible with COVID-19 and there was an increase in illness reporting during March 2020 Diagnostic swabs were not routinely performed. Cough (n=179, 75.8%), fever (n=138, 58.5%), breathlessness (n=84, 35.6%) were reported. Anosmia was reported in 42.2%. Fever generally settled within 1 week (n=110/138, 88%). Several respondents remained at home and did not seek formal medical attention despite reporting severe breathlessness and measuring hypoxia (n=5/9, 55.6%). 2 patients required hospital admission but recovered following oxygen therapy. 84 respondents (41.2%) required greater than the obligated 7 days off work and 9 required greater than 3 weeks off.ConclusionThere was a significant increase in staff reporting illness compatible with possible COVID-19 during March 2020. Subsequent serology studies at the same hospital study site have confirmed sero-positivity for COVID-19 up to 45% by the end of April 2020 in frontline HCWs. The study revealed a concerning lack of healthcare seeking in respondents with significant red flag symptoms (severe breathlessness, hypoxia). This study also highlighted anosmia as a key symptom of COVID-19 early in the pandemic, prior to this symptom being more widely recognised as a feature of COVID-19.© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.

27 keywords...

hide…