COVID-19 in people aged 18–64 in Sweden in the first year of the pandemic: Key factors for severe disease and death
Journal article, 2022

Background: Studies on risk factors for severe COVID-19 in people of working age have generally not included non-working persons or established population attributable fractions (PAFs) for occupational and other factors. Objectives: We describe the effect of job-related, sociodemographic, and other exposures on the incidence, relative risks and PAFs of severe COVID-19 in individuals aged 18–64. Methods: We conducted a registry-based study in Swedish citizens aged 18–64 from 1 January 2020 to 1 February 2021 with respect to COVID-19-related hospitalizations and death. Results: Of 6,205,459 persons, 272,043 (7.5%) were registered as infected, 3399 (0.05%) needed intensive care, and 620 (0.01%) died, with an estimated case fatality rate of 0.06% over the last 4-month period when testing was adequate. Non-Nordic origin was associated with a RR for need of intensive care of 3·13, 95%CI 2·91–3·36, and a PAF of 32·2% after adjustment for age, sex, work, region and comorbidities. In a second model with occupation as main exposure, and adjusted for age, sex, region, comorbidities and origin, essential workers had an RR of 1·51, 95%CI, 1·35–1·6, blue-collar workers 1·18, 95%CI 1·06–1·31, school staff 1·21, 95%CI 1·01–1·46, and health and social care workers 1·89, 95%CI 1·67–2·135) compared with people able to work from home, with altogether about 13% of the PAF associated with these occupations. Essential workers and blue-collar workers, but no other job categories had higher risk of death, adjusted RRs of 1·79, 95%CI 1·34–2·38 and 1·37, 95%CI 1·04–1·81, with adjusted PAFs of altogether 9%. Conclusion: Among people of working age in Sweden, overall mortality and case fatality were low. Occupations that require physical presence at work were associated with elevated risk of needing intensive care for COVID-19, with 14% cases attributable to this factor, and 9% of deaths.

Mortality

Intensive care

Comorbidity

COVID-19

Occupation

Population study

Author

Annika Rosengren

University of Gothenburg

Sahlgrenska University Hospital

Mia Söderberg

University of Gothenburg

Christina E. Lundberg

University of Gothenburg

Martin Lindgren

University of Gothenburg

Sahlgrenska University Hospital

Ailiana Santosa

University of Gothenburg

Jon Edqvist

University of Gothenburg

Maria Åberg

Regionhälsan

University of Gothenburg

Magnus Gisslen

Sahlgrenska University Hospital

University of Gothenburg

Josefina Robertson

University of Gothenburg

Sahlgrenska University Hospital

Ottmar Cronie

Chalmers, Mathematical Sciences, Applied Mathematics and Statistics

Naveed Sattar

College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences

University of Gothenburg

Jesper Lagergren

Karolinska University Hospital

King's College London

Maria Brandén

Stockholm University

Linköping University

J. Bjork

Skåne University Hospital

Lund University

Martin Adiels

University of Gothenburg

Global Epidemiology

25901133 (eISSN)

Vol. 4 100095

Subject Categories

Geriatrics

Environmental Health and Occupational Health

Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology

DOI

10.1016/j.gloepi.2022.100095

More information

Latest update

1/5/2023 2