TY - JOUR
T1 - High rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection in funeral home workers in Ecuador
T2 - Is it an occupational risk for COVID-19?
AU - UDLA COVID-19 team
AU - Ortiz-Prado, Esteban
AU - Vásconez, Jorge Eduardo
AU - Vallejo-Janeta, Alexander Paolo
AU - Morales-Jadán, Diana
AU - Henriquez-Trujillo, Aquiles R
AU - Rivera-Olivero, Ismar A
AU - Andrade, Felipe
AU - Lozada, Tannya
AU - Garcia-Bereguiain, Miguel Angel
N1 - Copyright © 2022 Ortiz-Prado, Vásconez, Vallejo-Janeta, Morales-Jadán, Henriquez-Trujillo, Rivera-Olivero, Andrade, Lozada, Garcia-Bereguiain and UDLA COVID-19 Team.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - AIM: The COVID-19 outbreak has already caused more than 6.5 million deaths, overwhelming health systems worldwide. The unusual demand for funeral home services could make these workers a potential risk group for occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 associated with corpses management for COVID-19 patients.METHODOLOGY: This is a cross-sectional study aimed to describe the infection rate of SARS-CoV-2 in funeral home staff by testing them with RT-qPCR in Quito, Ecuador. A total of 232 funeral home workers, representing more than 40% of funeral home personnel in Quito, were included in the study, in June 2020, immediately after the population lockdown was lifted in Ecuador.RESULTS: A total of 48 individuals tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, yielding an infection rate of 20.7%. The SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was 18.1 and 20.0% among personnel managing corpses or not managing corpses, respectively. Among the SARS-CoV-2 positive patients, 81.3% reported no symptoms related to COVID-19, and 3 individuals had high viral loads over 10
8 copies/ml.
CONCLUSION: The high SARS-CoV-2 infection rate in funeral home staff suggested a potential occupational risk for COVID-19 but not related to corpses management. Public health guidelines for safe corpses management for COVID-19 victims and safe funeral services should be reinforced.
AB - AIM: The COVID-19 outbreak has already caused more than 6.5 million deaths, overwhelming health systems worldwide. The unusual demand for funeral home services could make these workers a potential risk group for occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 associated with corpses management for COVID-19 patients.METHODOLOGY: This is a cross-sectional study aimed to describe the infection rate of SARS-CoV-2 in funeral home staff by testing them with RT-qPCR in Quito, Ecuador. A total of 232 funeral home workers, representing more than 40% of funeral home personnel in Quito, were included in the study, in June 2020, immediately after the population lockdown was lifted in Ecuador.RESULTS: A total of 48 individuals tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, yielding an infection rate of 20.7%. The SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was 18.1 and 20.0% among personnel managing corpses or not managing corpses, respectively. Among the SARS-CoV-2 positive patients, 81.3% reported no symptoms related to COVID-19, and 3 individuals had high viral loads over 10
8 copies/ml.
CONCLUSION: The high SARS-CoV-2 infection rate in funeral home staff suggested a potential occupational risk for COVID-19 but not related to corpses management. Public health guidelines for safe corpses management for COVID-19 victims and safe funeral services should be reinforced.
KW - Humans
KW - Funeral Homes
KW - COVID-19/epidemiology
KW - Cross-Sectional Studies
KW - Ecuador/epidemiology
KW - SARS-CoV-2
KW - Communicable Disease Control
KW - Cadaver
U2 - 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1012434
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1012434
M3 - Article
C2 - 36438256
SN - 2296-2565
VL - 10
SP - 1012434
JO - Frontiers in Public Health
JF - Frontiers in Public Health
ER -