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Quigley DD, Qureshi N, Gahlon G, Gidengil C. Worker and employer experiences with COVID-19 and the California Workers' Compensation System: A review of the literature. Am J Ind Med 2022; 65:203-213. [PMID: 35092626 PMCID: PMC9011629 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.23326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Given workplace risks from COVID-19, California policymakers passed Senate Bill (SB) 1159 to facilitate access to workers' compensation (WC) benefits for frontline workers. However there has been no review of the available evidence needed to inform policy decisions about COVID-19 and WC. METHODS We conducted a literature review on worker and employer experiences surrounding COVID-19 and WC, adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. RESULTS Forty articles were included (16 about worker experiences and 24 about employer practices). Most were not about experiences and practices related to COVID-19 and WC. Worker studies indicated that paid sick leave reduced new COVID-19 cases and COVID-19 activity. Studies also found that rural agricultural and food processing workers lacked sick leave protection and faced severe housing and food insecurity. Studies on workplace health and safety indicated that healthcare workers with access to personal protective equipment had lower stress levels. Studies about employer practices found that unrestricted work in high-contact industries was associated with increased risks to at-risk workers, and with health disparities. No studies examined worker COVID-19 experiences and WC claims or benefits, job loss, retaliation, workers' medical care experiences, and return-to-work or leave practices. CONCLUSIONS Our review identified experiences and practice related to COVID-19 and the WC system, but not specifically about WC and COVID-19 WC claims or benefits. Further research is needed to document and understand evidence underpinning the need for WC coverage for COVID-19 and to evaluate the impact of the current SB 1159 bill on WC in California.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nabeel Qureshi
- Health Care division RAND Corporation Santa Monica California USA
- Pardee RAND Graduate School Santa Monica California USA
| | - Grace Gahlon
- Health Care division RAND Corporation Arlington Virginia USA
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Mohanty S, Garcia U, MacDonald B, Mayedo A, Della Rocca DG, Gianni C, Udenyi P, Zagrodzky W, Shetty S, Natale A. Coronavirus Disease-19 Testing Strategies for Patients and Health Care Workers to Improve Workplace Safety. Card Electrophysiol Clin 2022; 14:111-114. [PMID: 35221079 PMCID: PMC8789401 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccep.2021.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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López Seguí F, Navarrete Duran JM, Tuldrà A, Sarquella M, Revollo B, Llibre JM, Ara del Rey J, Estrada Cuxart O, Paredes Deirós R, Hernández Guillamet G, Clotet Sala B, Vidal Alaball J, Such Faro P. Impact of Mass Workplace COVID-19 Rapid Testing on Health and Healthcare Resource Savings. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:7129. [PMID: 34281065 PMCID: PMC8297152 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18137129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Background: The epidemiological situation generated by COVID-19 has cast into sharp relief the delicate balance between public health priorities and the economy, with businesses obliged to toe the line between employee health and continued production. In an effort to detect as many cases as possible, isolate contacts, cut transmission chains, and limit the spread of the virus in the workplace, mass testing strategies have been implemented in both public health and industrial contexts to minimize the risk of disruption in activity. Objective: To evaluate the economic impact of the mass workplace testing strategy as carried out by a large automotive company in Catalonia in terms of health and healthcare resource savings. Methodology: Analysis of health costs and impacts based on the estimation of the mortality and morbidity avoided because of screening, and the resulting savings in healthcare costs. Results: The economic impact of the mass workplace testing strategies (using both PCR and RAT tests) was approximately €10.44 per test performed or €5575.49 per positive detected; 38% of this figure corresponds to savings derived from better use of health resources (hospital beds, ICU beds, and follow-up of infected cases), while the remaining 62% corresponds to improved health rates due to the avoided morbidity and mortality. In scenarios with higher positivity rates and a greater impact of the infection on health and the use of health resources, these results could be up to ten times higher (€130.24 per test performed or €69,565.59 per positive detected). Conclusion: In the context of COVID-19, preventive actions carried out by the private sector to safeguard industrial production also have concomitant public benefits in the form of savings in healthcare costs. Thus, governmental bodies need to recognize the value of implementing such strategies in private settings and facilitate them through, for example, subsidies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesc López Seguí
- Fight AIDS and Infectious Diseases Foundation, 08916 Badalona, Spain; (A.T.); (M.S.); (B.R.); (J.M.L.); (R.P.D.); (B.C.S.)
- North Metropolitan Primary Care Directorate, Catalan Institute of Health, 08916 Badalona, Spain; (J.A.d.R.); (O.E.C.)
| | - Jose Maria Navarrete Duran
- Health Safety and Emergencies Unit SEAT CUPRA, the Companies of the Volkswagen Group in Spain, 08916 Badalona, Spain;
| | - Albert Tuldrà
- Fight AIDS and Infectious Diseases Foundation, 08916 Badalona, Spain; (A.T.); (M.S.); (B.R.); (J.M.L.); (R.P.D.); (B.C.S.)
| | - Maria Sarquella
- Fight AIDS and Infectious Diseases Foundation, 08916 Badalona, Spain; (A.T.); (M.S.); (B.R.); (J.M.L.); (R.P.D.); (B.C.S.)
| | - Boris Revollo
- Fight AIDS and Infectious Diseases Foundation, 08916 Badalona, Spain; (A.T.); (M.S.); (B.R.); (J.M.L.); (R.P.D.); (B.C.S.)
| | - Josep Maria Llibre
- Fight AIDS and Infectious Diseases Foundation, 08916 Badalona, Spain; (A.T.); (M.S.); (B.R.); (J.M.L.); (R.P.D.); (B.C.S.)
| | - Jordi Ara del Rey
- North Metropolitan Primary Care Directorate, Catalan Institute of Health, 08916 Badalona, Spain; (J.A.d.R.); (O.E.C.)
| | - Oriol Estrada Cuxart
- North Metropolitan Primary Care Directorate, Catalan Institute of Health, 08916 Badalona, Spain; (J.A.d.R.); (O.E.C.)
| | - Roger Paredes Deirós
- Fight AIDS and Infectious Diseases Foundation, 08916 Badalona, Spain; (A.T.); (M.S.); (B.R.); (J.M.L.); (R.P.D.); (B.C.S.)
| | - Guillem Hernández Guillamet
- Central Catalonia Primary Care Directorate, Catalan Institute of Health, Sant Fruitos de Bages, 08272 Barcelona, Spain; (G.H.G.); (J.V.A.)
| | - Bonaventura Clotet Sala
- Fight AIDS and Infectious Diseases Foundation, 08916 Badalona, Spain; (A.T.); (M.S.); (B.R.); (J.M.L.); (R.P.D.); (B.C.S.)
| | - Josep Vidal Alaball
- Central Catalonia Primary Care Directorate, Catalan Institute of Health, Sant Fruitos de Bages, 08272 Barcelona, Spain; (G.H.G.); (J.V.A.)
- Health Promotion in Rural Areas Research Group, Gerencia Territorial de la Catalunya Central, Institut Catala de la Salut, Sant Fruitos de Bages, 08272 Barcelona, Spain
- Unitat de Suport a la Recerca de la Catalunya Central, Fundacio Institut Universitari per a la Recerca a l’Atencio Primaria de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina, Sant Fruitos de Bages, 08272 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Patricia Such Faro
- Health Safety and Emergencies Unit SEAT CUPRA, the Companies of the Volkswagen Group in Spain, 08916 Badalona, Spain;
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Fragala MS, Goldberg ZN, Goldberg SE. Return to Work: Managing Employee Population Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Popul Health Manag 2021; 24:S3-S15. [PMID: 33347795 PMCID: PMC7875125 DOI: 10.1089/pop.2020.0261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has abruptly transformed the outlook of employer health benefits plans for 2020 and 2021. Containing the spread of the virus and facilitating care of those infected have quickly emerged as immediate priorities. Employers have adjusted health benefits coverage to make COVID-19 testing and treatment accessible and remove barriers to care in order to facilitate the containment of the disease. Employers also are introducing strategies focused on testing, surveillance, workplace modifications, and hygiene to keep workforces healthy and workplaces safe. This paper is intended to provide evidence-based perspectives for self-insured employers for managing population health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such considerations include (1) return to work practices focused on mitigating the spread of COVID-19 through safety practices, testing and surveillance; and (2) anticipating the impact of COVID-19 on health benefits and costs (including adaptations in delivery of care, social and behavioral health needs, and managing interrupted care for chronic conditions).
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Sharara N, Endo N, Duvallet C, Ghaeli N, Matus M, Heussner J, Olesen SW, Alm EJ, Chai PR, Erickson TB. Wastewater network infrastructure in public health: Applications and learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 1:e0000061. [PMID: 34927170 PMCID: PMC8682811 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0000061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Accurate estimates of COVID-19 burden of infections in communities can inform public health strategy for the current pandemic. Wastewater based epidemiology (WBE) leverages sewer infrastructure to provide insights on rates of infection by measuring viral concentrations in wastewater. By accessing the sewer network at various junctures, important insights regarding COVID-19 disease activity can be gained. The analysis of sewage at the wastewater treatment plant level enables population-level surveillance of disease trends and virus mutations. At the neighborhood level, WBE can be used to describe trends in infection rates in the community thereby facilitating local efforts at targeted disease mitigation. Finally, at the building level, WBE can suggest the presence of infections and prompt individual testing. In this critical review, we describe the types of data that can be obtained through varying levels of WBE analysis, concrete plans for implementation, and public health actions that can be taken based on WBE surveillance data of infectious diseases, using recent and successful applications of WBE during the COVID-19 pandemic for illustration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nour Sharara
- Biobot Analytics, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail: (TBE); (NS)
| | - Noriko Endo
- Biobot Analytics, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Claire Duvallet
- Biobot Analytics, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Newsha Ghaeli
- Biobot Analytics, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Mariana Matus
- Biobot Analytics, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jennings Heussner
- Biobot Analytics, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Scott W. Olesen
- Biobot Analytics, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Eric J. Alm
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore, Singapore
- Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Peter R. Chai
- Division of Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- The Fenway Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- The Koch Institute for Integrated Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Division of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Timothy B. Erickson
- Division of Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail: (TBE); (NS)
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