Spatiotemporal Characteristics and Factor Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Infections among Healthcare Workers in Wuhan, China

TL;DR

This study analyzes the spatiotemporal distribution of SARS-CoV-2 infections among healthcare workers in Wuhan, revealing patterns, influential factors, and the impact of external measures to inform better protective strategies.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of the spatiotemporal patterns and external factors affecting HCW infections using a new open-source dataset and geographical detector technique.

Findings

Infections followed a log-normal distribution with a peak on January 23, 2020.

Higher infection risks were associated with hospitals closer to infection sources.

Lockdown measures temporarily increased HCW infection probabilities.

Abstract

Studying the spatiotemporal distribution of SARS-CoV-2 infections among healthcare workers (HCWs) can aid in protecting them from exposure. Existing studies related to HCW infections have emphasized infection rates and protective measures. However, the spatiotemporal patterns and related external environmental factors of HCW infections remain unclear. To fill this gap, an open-source dataset of HCW diagnoses was provided, and the spatiotemporal distributions of SARS-CoV-2 infections among HCWs in Wuhan, China were explored. A geographical detector technique was then used to investigate the impacts of hospital level, type, distance from the infection source, and other external indicators of HCW infections. The results showed that the number of daily HCW infections over time in Wuhan followed a log-normal distribution, with and its mean observed on January 23, 2020 and a standard deviation of 10.8 days. The implementation of high-impact measures, such as the lockdown of the city, may have increased the probability of HCW infections in the short term, especially for HCWs in the outer ring of Wuhan. The infection of HCWs Wuhan exhibited clear spatial heterogeneity. The number of HCW infections was higher in the central city and lower in the outer city. Moreover, HCW infections displayed significant spatial autocorrelation and dependence. Factors analyses revealed that hospital level and type had an even greater impact on HCW infections; third-class and general hospitals closer to infection sources were correlated with especially high risks of infection. These findings can aid national epidemic prevention and control departments to understand the spatiotemporal distributions of viral transmission resulting in HCW infections, as well as external influencing factors, which can facilitate the protection of HCWs in China.