P-640. Not All Viruses Are Equal: A Comparative Study Of COVID-19, Influenza A, RSV And Work Absenteeism

TL;DR

This study compares how respiratory viruses like COVID-19, influenza A, and RSV affect work absenteeism, finding that remote work helps reduce missed hours.

Contribution

The study quantifies virus-specific impacts on work absenteeism and highlights the role of remote work in mitigating occupational loss.

Findings

COVID-19 and influenza A cause significantly more work absenteeism than RSV.

Remote work capability reduces missed work hours for both COVID-19 and influenza A.

Adjusting for factors like age and remote work shows persistent absenteeism differences between virus types.

Abstract

Respiratory viral illnesses significantly impact workforce productivity and absenteeism, yet few studies have explicitly compared the relative impacts of COVID-19, influenza A, and RSV within occupational settings. This study compares virus-specific impacts on work absenteeism among working-age adults to guide preventive strategies and workplace policies.

We conducted a prospective observational study on 404 adults aged 18–65 y in emergency rooms and urgent cares for influenza-like illness (ILI) during the 2024–2025 respiratory season. Participants initially completed a baseline survey that included self-reported vaccination status and underwent PCR testing for COVID-19, influenza A, and RSV. Subsequently, they completed a follow-up survey two weeks later to report on work hours missed and the impact of illness until recovery. Virus-specific impacts were analyzed using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests with Bonferroni correction to account for multiple comparisons. Multivariable generalized linear models (GLMs) with a Gamma distribution and log link function were constructed to evaluate independent associations between virus type and missed work hours, adjusting for age, sex, education level, remote work capability, and virus type (PCR result).

COVID-19-positive participants missed more work hours (median: 30 hours) than those who tested negative (16 hours; p< 0.001). Influenza A cases showed significant absenteeism (27.6 hours; p< 0.001), while RSV-positive cases showed no significant difference (19.9 hours; p=0.38). Adjusted analyses confirmed increased absenteeism for (11.95 additional hours; p< 0.001) and influenza A (8.6 additional hours; p< 0.001). Remote work capability significantly reduced missed work hours (IRR 0.57 for Flu A, IRR 0.61 for COVID-19; p< 0.001).Remote work capability significantly reduced missed work hours (IRR 0.57 for Flu A, IRR 0.61 for COVID-19; both p< 0.001).

COVID-19 and Influenza A increase workforce absenteeism compared to test-negative ILI cases. Flexible workplace policies, particularly remote work capabilities, are critical to reducing the occupational impact of respiratory viral illnesses.

All Authors: No reported disclosures

Figures