Shift Work and Respiratory Infections in Healthcare Workers.

Abstract

Recently, there has been interest in whether shift work may enhance infection susceptibility. Our aim was to determine whether shift workers in healthcare have a higher incidence, duration, and severity of influenza-like illness (ILI) and acute respiratory illness (ARI) than non-shift workers. From September 2016-June 2017, 501 rotating and/or night shift workers and 88 non-shift workers from the Klokwerk+ study (2016-2017) daily registered occurrence of ILI/ARI symptoms using a smartphone application. Incidence rate of ILI/ARI episodes (defined as ≥2 symptoms on the same day/≥1 symptom during two consecutive days), mean duration per episode, and incidence rate of severe episodes were compared between shift and non-shift workers using negative binomial regression and linear mixed model analysis. In total, participants completed 110,347 diaries. Shift workers' incidence rate of ILI/ARI episodes was 1.20 (95%-CI:1.01, 1.43) times higher, and for severe ILI/ARI episodes 1.22 (95%-CI:1.01, 1.49) times higher, compared to non-shift workers. Mean duration per ILI/ARI episode did not differ (ratio between means=1.02 (95%-CI:0.87, 1.19)). In conclusion, shift workers in healthcare had more and more severe ILI/ARI episodes than non-shift workers, but with a similar duration. Insight into underlying mechanisms connecting shift work and infection susceptibility will contribute to the design of preventive initiatives.