COPE-Birmingham: The contribution of occupational exposures to risk of COVID-19 and approaches to control among healthcare workers

Healthcare workers have higher risk of getting coronavirus (COVID-19 disease). Contact with infected patients, the type of work and measures such as use of masks affect their risk. However, factors outside the workplace are also important. For example, being older, from minority ethnic groups, some health conditions and home circumstances increase risk. We don't know how these aspects compare with workplace risks, or which work exposures are most risky. We will invite about 5000 staff with different job-roles and departments from three large West Midlands NHS Trusts (University Hospitals Birmingham, Birmingham Women's and Children's and The West Midlands Ambulance Trust) to join our study. These will include workers who had a COVID-19 test because of symptoms. We will also invite some workers with no symptoms. Participants will be asked to complete a questionnaire covering: - type and nature of work - extent and nature of contact with COVID-19 patients (direct, cleaning, transport etc) - ability to comply with recommended infection control procedures - home/family circumstances - travel patterns - personal data and health conditions We will compare workplace exposures and other characteristics amongst those who had positive with those who had negative tests. Our findings will help us to better understand the risk of infection among healthcare workers and to develop guidelines to reduce risk.