# Clinical, epidemiological, and molecular characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 Infections among healthcare workers at a research center in the amazon region of BRAZIL from 2020 to 2022

## TL;DR

This study examines SARS-CoV-2 infections among healthcare workers in Brazil's Amazon region from 2020 to 2022, focusing on clinical symptoms, infection rates, and virus variants.

## Contribution

The study provides a detailed analysis of SARS-CoV-2 infections in healthcare workers in the Amazon region, including lineage distribution and symptom trends over time.

## Key findings

- 31.8% of tested healthcare workers were SARS-CoV-2 positive, with Omicron being the most prevalent lineage (57.6%).
- Infection rates peaked in January 2022 (65%) and July 2022 (56%), with notable symptom variations across years.
- Females had a higher prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infections (60.2%) compared to males.

## Abstract

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected different sectors of society, and healthcare workers have been particularly impacted. This study aimed to describe the clinical, epidemiological, and molecular characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 infections among healthcare workers in Evandro Chagas Institute, a research reference center in Brazil, from October 2020 to July 2022. 845 samples were collected from individuals who presented clinical symptoms of respiratory infection. Nasopharyngeal positive samples were submitted through genome sequencing. Clinical, epidemiological, and the SARS-CoV-2 lineages (or variants) were analyzed. SARS-CoV-2 positivity was detected in 31.8% (269/845) of samples with a higher prevalence of females (60.2%). The highest SARS-CoV-2 positivity rates were reported in March 2021 (39%), January 2022 (65%), and July 2022 (56%). On clinical symptoms, arthralgia, chills, and diarrhea were statistically significantly detected in 2020; fever, runny nose, and arthralgia in 2021; runny nose, and cough in 2022. On molecular analysis of SARS-CoV-2, 66 samples (25.3%, 66/269) were sequenced and the most prevalent lineage was the Omicron, representing 57.6%. Studies on the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of HCW are essential to propose control measures and work management since research centers play a major role in surveillance to identify and monitor infectious diseases.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42770-024-01557-x.