Grocery Store Essential Workers whose jobs involved direct interaction with customers were 5 times more likely to test positive for COVID

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood  NJ, according to Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security , researchers from Harvard and Boston Universities (Massachusetts, US) analyzed exposure and infection risks among 104 employees at a Boston-area grocery store. The study, published in BMJ, also evaluated the employees’ mental health, specifically evaluating for signs of anxiety and depression. As part of a testing program mandated by the local government, all employees underwent PCR-based diagnostic testing, and 21 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Notably, 76% of the positive employees were not symptomatic at the time of testing. Employees whose jobs involved direct interaction with customers were 5 times more likely to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 than those without direct customer contact. Among 99 participants who completed the mental health assessments, 24 reported “at least mild anxiety” and 8 “screened positive for at least mild depression.” Individuals who were able to practice effective social distancing at work were less likely to experience both anxiety and depression. Additionally, those who were able to commute to work without using public transportation (e.g., walk, bicycle, private vehicle) exhibited a 90% reduction in the risk depression.