Abstract Body

Background and purpose: Healthcare workers are exposed to a high risk of contagion by the SARS-CoV-2. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to identify the sociodemographic, clinical and epidemiological characteristics associated with the SARS-CoV-2 infection in family physicians (GPs) who carry out their work in Primary Care or in Emergency Departments.

Methods: GPs who underwent an RT-PCR test (real-time polymerase chain reaction) for the detection of the SARSCoV-2 were included. Sociodemographic and work variables were collected, as well as contact with COVID-19 patients, symptoms presented during the process, previous chronic morbidities and smoking, through an ad-hoc online questionnaire (Google form). Odds Ratios (OR) were estimated to measure the magnitude of the association between those variables and the presence of SARS-CoV-2 infection (logistic regression).

Results: 133 out of 969 FPs were PCR positive (13.7%; 95% CI: 11.6-16.0%). The most frequently declared symptoms were fatigue/tiredness (69.2%; 95% CI: 60.9-77.4%), cough (56.4%, 95% CI: 47.6-65.2 %) and headache (55.6%, 95% CI: 46.8-64.4%). The variables independently associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection were previous contact with a COVID-19 patient (OR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.2-4.2 ), fatigue/tiredness (OR: 2.2; 95% CI: 1.2-3.9), olfactory dysfunction (4.6, 95% CI: 1.7-12.5), gustatory dysfunction (OR: 32.0; 95% CI: 9.6-106.8), cough (OR: 3.0; 95% CI: 1.7-5.3) and fever (OR: 6.1; 95% CI: 3, 2-11.4).

Conclusions: Early detection of selected symptoms could help to suspect COVID-19 disease in GPs, mainly if a previous contact with a COVID-19 patient has been documented.