Numbers of Covid-19 infected medical workers decreasing in Latvia

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The situation with medical staff getting infected with Covid-19 is improving, Latvian Radio reported January 20.

In early December, the highest number of medical workers had fallen ill with Covid-19 at the same time. Now, although the situation is still far from normal, there is a slight improvement. Healthcare workers are at high risk of infection because they can become infected both outside work and at work. How severely has Covid-19 affected those who treat others?

Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that, on average, around 14% of all Covid-19 cases are diagnosed in health workers.

In Latvia, the average is better – health workers account for 8% of the total number of ill people. Between the beginning of the pandemic and the end of last week, 4573 healthcare workers had fallen ill in Latvia.

If compared with the rest of the population, medical staff get infected three times more frequently than others.

"It is 85 per 1,000 individuals and in the rest of the population there are 27 sick per 1,000 individuals," said Santa Pildava, head of the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (SPKC) 's Patient Safety and Health Care Quality Development Division.

Pildava said the “peak” was early December. Medics then accounted 16.7% of the total number of sick people. The situation is better now, with 4.9% in the first week of this year. 

Medical nurses are the most frequently infected, accounting for one third of all infected medical staff. 18% of medical workers are doctors, 22% -- doctor's assistants and sanitation workers. of cases have fallen ill.

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