Precarious employment (PE), characterized by job insecurity, instability, low wages, and limited access to social protections, has been linked to adverse health outcomes. This study examines whether PE, measured using a newly validated precarious employment index (PEI), is associated with high stress and poor self-rated health (SRH) in Danish workers. We conducted a cross-sectional study including 3339 Danish workers aged 18–45 years. The PEI captures six dimensions of working conditions: instability, salary, power and rights, work task planning, work time planning, and workers’ collective. PEI scores ranged from 0 (no PE) to 100 (most PE) and were dichotomized at the mean + 1 Standard Deviation (SD) into “no PE” and “PE”; 15

Numerous studies have tried to understand the causes of mental health problems, mostly focusing on single exposures. These approaches often fail to capture the complex and interconnected nature of mental health problems. This study aims to investigate the associations of concurrent age-specific changes in explanatory factors, encompassing personal, health, lifestyle, and social factors and depressive symptoms in individuals aged 15 to 32 years. Individuals born in 1989 were followed from 2004 to 2021 with surveys at ages 15, 18, 21, 28, and 32. Inverse probability weights and multiple imputations with chained equations were used to account for attrition and missing data. Descriptive characteristics for each wave were estimated as well as the changes in depressive symptoms and explanatory variables between each wave. Fixed effect regression models and dominance analyses examined the contribution of change in each explanatory variable to the change in depressive symptoms between each wave. Lastly, analyses of asymmetric change were estimated to detect asymmetric associations of explanatory variables and depressive symptoms. The relative importance of the explanatory variables changed between age points. Between all age points, stress was the most dominant variable with a relative contribution above 30% between all age points, while the contribution of sense of coherence increased through the waves from 17% to 25%. Self-esteem, self-rated health, and psychosomatic symptoms had also high dominance with shifting contributions through the ages. The associations between explanatory factors and depressive symptoms are dynamic and preventive strategies should be tailored towards the different life stages.

Many persons infected with SARS-CoV-2 experienced prolonged symptoms after the acute phase of the infection (long-COVID). We aimed to investigate whether SARS-CoV-2 infection increased the risk of long-term sickness absence, low work participation, and high use of general practitioners in persons in the Danish workforce. In a register-based cohort study, we identified 261,325 persons from the workforce who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in Denmark. These were matched with persons who tested negative by time, sex, age, and industry and analysed with conditional logistic regression. The outcomes were long-term sickness absence, low work participation and high number of contacts to general practitioners, all measured during year 1 after test. We adjusted for work participation or contacts to general practitioners, both measured during year 1 before test, respectively, and for vaccination status, comorbidity, and educational level. We stratified the result by sex, age, and industry to identify any effect modification by these factors. Most persons infected with SARS-CoV-2 were not on long-term sickness absence (98.3

Stress levels have increased among adolescents, yet tools for identifying those at high risk remain limited. This study aimed to develop and internally validate a prognostic model estimating the probability of high perceived stress in young adulthood using data collected at age 15. Data were from the West Jutland Cohort Study including 2,108 Danish adolescents with complete information on the 4-item Perceived Stress Scale at ages 15 and 18. High stress at age 18 was defined as a total score of 9 or higher. Twenty-three candidate predictors were examined using Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression across 100 imputed datasets. Predictors selected in ≥ 80

The 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) is widely used internationally, but its measurement properties have not been evaluated in Danish adolescents. The aim of this study was to assess the structural, construct, and criterion validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and measurement precision of the Danish PSS-10, and to explore its ability to discriminate between adolescents with and without clinically assessed psychiatric diagnoses. A random sample of 5,699 adolescents aged 15–20 years was invited to participate. Of these, 667 completed the PSS-10 questionnaire in the first round (test sample), and 182 completed it a second time after approximately one week (retest sample). Structural validity was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using one- and two-factor models. Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha. Test-retest reliability (n = 182) was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and the standard error of measurement (SEM). Construct and criterion validity was assessed in a subsample (n = 38) who completed a Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) interview. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to examine the discriminative ability of the PSS-10 in relation to clinically assessed psychiatric diagnoses and to explore a potential threshold score. The two-factor model showed the best statistical fit, although the overall pattern of findings supported use of the total PSS-10 score. Internal consistency was excellent, as indicated by a Cronbach’s alpha = 0.90. Test-retest reliability was high with a ICC(2,1) = 0.89 and SEM = 2.65 resulting in a minimal detectable change of 7.34, which corresponds to an 18

AIMS:This study aims to examine the different aspects of socio-economic status (SES) patterns in mental health from adolescence into adulthood by investigating the mean, prevalence, cumulative incidence and trajectories of several mental health measures, including depressive symptoms, mental disorder diagnosis and medication use. The different aspects of SES are investigated through the measures of subjective social status (SSS) in school, SSS in society, income and parental educational level. METHODS:Individuals born in 1989 were followed from 2004 to 2021 with surveys at ages 15, 18, 21, 28 and 32 years, supplied with yearly register data. The mean level of depressive symptoms, yearly prevalence of medication use and cumulative incidence of mental disorder diagnosis were calculated for each SES group (low, middle and high) across each measure. Group-Based Trajectory Modelling (GBTM) was used to identify depressive symptom trajectories and logistic regressions were used to analyse the relative odds ratios (ROR) of membership to the different trajectory groups by characteristics. RESULTS:Individuals with low SES at age 15 years across all SES measures showed higher mean depressive symptoms, prevalence of medication use and cumulative incidence of mental disorder diagnosis through adolescence and adulthood (age 15-32 years). Four depressive symptom trajectories were identified: low stable, moderate stable, decreasing and increasing trajectories. Being female, receiving medication or a mental disorder diagnosis in early adulthood and during the study period, having low SSS in school, parents not living together, being bullied, lacking support from teachers or classmates, lower levels of parents' support or higher school pressure resulted in higher RORs of membership to the other trajectory groups compared to the low stable trajectory, while having high SSS in society resulted in a lower ROR. CONCLUSIONS:This is the first study to detect the role of social support in relation to depressive symptom trajectories. While individuals with low social status consistently experienced more negative mental health outcomes than those with middle and high social status in the study period (age 15-32 years), low SSS showed the strongest associations. This indicates that SSS may capture vulnerable individuals not identified by traditional SES. Being female, having low SES, low social support, and other mental health outcomes were associated with higher odds of being in trajectories with more depressive symptoms. Preventive initiatives should therefore target individuals with such characteristics. It is worth exploring whether adolescents with increasing depressive symptoms could benefit from increased social support.

BACKGROUND:We describe long-term work participation of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) referred to Danish departments of occupational medicine and compare to patients with contact dermatitis. METHODS:One thousand seven hundred and sixty CTS-patients were included in this register-based nationwide longitudinal follow-up study and compared to 3158 contact dermatitis patients. We extracted register data on public benefits 5 years before and after assessment at a department of occupational medicine between 2000 and 2013. We defined a work participation score (WPS) as weeks where the patient was working divided by number of potential work weeks per year, dichotomized into low and high at the 75th percentile. We analyzed the risk of low WPS and of receiving permanent health-related public benefits during follow-up. RESULTS:Before assessment, both CTS and contact dermatitis patients had high work participation. In the follow-up period work participation decreased permanently for both patient groups. Comparing women with CTS to women with contact dermatitis, odds ratios (OR) of low WPS were 2.56 (2.11-3.11) and 1.68 (1.38-2.05) one and 5 years after assessment. For men, OR of low WPS were 2.01 (95% CI, 1.67-2.44) and 1.27 (95% CI, 1.04-1.56). ORs of receiving permanent health-related public benefits during follow-up were 2.10 (95% CI, 1.56-2.83) for men and 1.97 (95% CI, 1.54-2.54) for women with CTS compared to those with contact dermatitis. CONCLUSIONS:Patients referred to Danish departments of occupational medicine due to CTS have increased risk of reduced long-term work participation and of receiving permanent health-related public benefits compared to patients referred due to contact dermatitis.

BACKGROUND:Short efficient questionnaires to detect depressive symptoms in adolescents are sparsely evaluated. We aimed to examine the test-retest reliability and structural and convergent validity of the Danish version of the 6-item version of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-core depression (SCL-6) in adolescents. METHODS:Our study population consisted of 122 adolescents. Ninety-one adolescents completed SCL-6 (test sample) in the first round, 82 adolescents completed SCL-6 in the second round (retest sample), with 66 completing the questionnaire both rounds (test-retest sample). Reliability was evaluated by intraclass correlation (ICC) and standard error of measurement (SEM), and structural validity was evaluated by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Mokken analyses. Convergent validity was assessed using the 4-item version of the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-DC4). RESULTS:The mean sum score in the test sample was higher than in the retest sample (0.74 (95% CI:0.06;1.43)). The limits of agreement (LoA) were broad (-4.73;6.21). The intraclass correlation (ICC(1,1)) was 0.79 (95% CI:0.67;0.87)) showed good reliability, while the SEM (2.03 (95% CI: 1.68; 2.37)) was large considering the range of the scale. Cronbach's alpha showed good internal consistency at both test (0.80) and retest (0.81). The inter-item correlations and Mokken analyses supported the conclusion of a unidimensional scale. The CFA did not find an acceptable fit of a one factor solution. The convergent validity showed a moderate correlation with the CES-DC4 (0.48). CONCLUSION:SCL-6 showed acceptable internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The results from the CFA were inconclusive in terms of demonstrating unidimensionality, but Mokken analyses supported unidimensionality like previous studies. We find the scale usable for population-based research on depressive symptoms in adolescents, but do not recommend it as screening tool on individual level.

Stress is associated with negative health outcomes, with increasing levels observed in adolescents, particularly among females. Despite the known association between low social status and stress, longitudinal studies on stress trajectories and the impact of social status in adolescence remain limited. This study describes mean levels of perceived stress by sex and social status over time, and models group-based trajectories of stress levels and examines the associations between social status at age 15 and these trajectories. Data were drawn from a longitudinal Danish study following participants from adolescence to early adulthood (ages 15–32), supplemented with register data. Stress levels were measured at five time points and analysed by sex across social status groups using various measures of social status. Group-based trajectory modelling was used to identify patterns over time. Sex differences in stress levels were observed at ages 15, 18, and 21 but diminished by age 32, as stress levels decreased among females. Low social status at age 15, across all social status measures, was associated with higher stress levels over time. Optimal models identified three trajectories among males (low-stable, mid-stable, and increasing) and four among females (low-stable, mid-stable, increasing, and high mid-peak). Low social status was associated with higher odds of being in all other trajectories than the low-stable trajectory, for both sexes, regardless of the social status measure. Preventive interventions should focus on individuals with low social status to reduce high-stress trajectories.

Research on precarious employment (PE) has increased in recent decades, highlighting its association with health-related problems. However, standardized multidimensional measures of PE remain limited. This study aimed to develop and validate a multidimensional index of PE tailored to the Danish labour market, incorporating aspects of daily working conditions. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a random sample of Danish workers aged 18–45 years, (N = 3,501). The PE Index includes six dimensions, comprising a total of 15 items: instability (2 items), salary (1 item), power and rights (4 items), work task planning (4 items), work time planning (2 items), and workers' collective (2 items), with a score ranging from 0 (no PE) to 100 (most PE). Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to explore factor structure of the PE Index. To assess reliability and inter-item correlation of the individual dimensions, Cronbach's Alpha and Kendall's Tau were applied. To examine predictive validity of the individual dimensions and the PE Index, we conducted adjusted linear regression models between the PE Index (and its individual dimensions) and 1) job insecurity, 2) worker vulnerability – measuring worker-employer relations and 3) WHO-5 Wellbeing Index (mental well-being), respectively. Model fit was assessed using R2 values. Reliability was strong (α ≥ 0.85) for power and rights and work task planning, while inter-item correlations were moderate for instability (0.29) and workers' collective (0.23), and weak for work time planning (0.11). The PE Index score was statistically significantly associated with job insecurity (β = 0.03, R2 = 16

OBJECTIVE:Mental health problems are increasing worldwide, and research has shown that it can be affected by work-life conflict (WLC). The aim of the present study is to examine the association between WLC and both stress and depressive symptoms in early adulthood. METHODS:A cross-sectional and a 4-year follow-up study was conducted using register data and questionnaire data from The West Jutland Cohort Study (VestLiv), Denmark. A total of 1296 individuals (age 28) were included in 2017, and 679 were included in 2021. Validated scales were used to measure both WLC, stress, and depressive symptoms. Linear and logistic regression were performed. RESULTS:An association was found between WLC and both stress and depressive symptoms in both genders. CONCLUSIONS:It is relevant to consider WLC a contributing factor for mental health of individuals in today's workforce.

AIM:The aim was to evaluate the role of insufficient use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk for healthcare workers (HCW) during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS:Prospective study within the COBRA cohort, including 15,127 HCW. Daily assessment of insufficient use of PPE, defined as self-reported PPE failure or noncompliance, in relation to SARS-CoV-2 infection ascertained by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Statistical analysis involved calculating incidence rate ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS:The included HCW contributed to 780,515 risk days including 67,723 d (8.7%) with insufficient PPE use and 133 events (positive PCR test). Self-reported insufficient use of PPE was slightly associated with infection with COVID-19 in HCW, but the data were statistically consistent with parameter values ranging from a protective effect to a to a doubling in risk (IRR 1.3, 95% CI 0.8; 2.3). Sensitivity analyses restricted to high-risk departments and to a period with a sufficient supply of PPE and a fully developed testing system, respectively, confirmed these findings. CONCLUSION:Insufficient use of PPE among HCW during the pandemic in Denmark was uncommon but associated with a slightly increased risk of COVID-19 among HCW. However, the findings are uncertain due to the limited number of cases and the potential for misclassification bias stemming from the self-reported nature of the exposure.

INTRODUCTION:Upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) are common and a common cause of sick-leave for healthcare workers, and furthermore pose a threat especially for patients susceptible to other diseases. Sufficient use of respiratory protective equipment (RPE) may protect both the workers and the patients. The COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to study the association between use of RPE and URTI in a real-life setting. The aim of this study was to examine if failure of RPE or non-compliance with RPE guidelines increases the risk of non-COVID-19 URTI symptoms among healthcare workers.METHODS:In a longitudinal cohort study, we collected self-reported data daily on work tasks, use of RPE, and URTI symptoms among healthcare workers with patient contact in 2 Danish Regions in 2 time periods during the COVID-19 pandemic. The association between failure of RPE or non-compliance with RPE guidelines and URTI symptoms was analyzed separately by generalized linear models. Persons tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 were censored from the analyses. The 2 waves of data collection were analyzed separately, as there were differences in recommendations of RPE during the 2 waves.RESULTS:We found that for healthcare workers performing work tasks with a risk of transmission of viruses or bacteria, failure of RPE was associated with an increased risk of URTI symptoms, RR: 1.65[0.53-5.14] in wave 1 and RR: 1.30[0.56-3.03] in wave 2. Also non-compliance with RPE guidelines was associated with an increased risk of URTI symptoms compared to the use of RPE in wave 1, RR: 1.28[0.87-1.87] and wave 2, RR: 1.39[1.01-1.91]. Stratifying on high- versus low-risk tasks showed that the risk related to failure and non-compliance was primarily associated with high-risk tasks, although not statistically significant.DISCUSSION:The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic and thus may be affected by other preventive measures in society. However, this gave the opportunity to study the use of RPE in a real-life setting, also in departments that did not previously use RPE. The circumstances in the 2 time periods of data collection differed and were analyzed separately and thus the sample size was limited and affected the precision of the estimates.CONCLUSION:Failures of RPE and non-compliance with RPE guidelines may increase the risk of URTI, compared to those who reported use of RPE as recommended. The implications of these findings are that the use of RPE to prevent URTI could be considered, especially while performing high-risk tasks where other prevention strategies are not achievable.

BACKGROUND:Depressive symptoms are prevalent in adolescents. We aimed to investigate the association between body image and depressive symptoms, and how Body Mass Index (BMI) affects this. METHODS:Survey data from 2017 with 9963 9th-grade Danish adolescents. Information from the survey about the exposure, body image, was divided into 3 categories: too fat, too thin, and adequate. Depressive symptoms, was measured with Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC4). BMI was categorized as underweight, normal weight and overweight. We used logistic regression and examined for effect modification by sex and BMI and adjusted for self-esteem and bullying. RESULTS:An association was found between body image and depressive symptoms, when adjusting for BMI, sex, self-esteem, and bullying. The association was strongest for adolescents feeling too fat compared with adolescents feeling adequate OR:1.61(1.45-1.78), for adolescents feeling to thin compared to adequate: OR:1.21 (1.06-1.37). No effect modification by either BMI or sex was found, but those who perceive their bodies in contrast to their reported BMI faced the highest odds of depressive symptoms, and the results were confounded by self-esteem and bullying, that reduced the estimates after adjusting. LIMITATIONS:This is a cross-sectional study with limited information regarding drop-out, with risk of selection bias. CONCLUSION:We found an association between negative body image and depressive symptoms among Danish adolescents. This confirms previous studies and is a relevant aspect to adolescents' mental health, especially the contrast between BMI and perceived body image, and the confounding by self-esteem and bulling, with potential for prevention.

BACKGROUND:There is strong observational evidence that respirators are highly effective in protecting the users from being infected with Middle East respiratory syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), but the evidence for SARS-CoV-2 during daily work is limited. This study utilized a subset of healthcare workers' temporary use of a new brand respirator with frequent defects when caring for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients to assess the protective effect of regular respirators against SARS-CoV-2 infection.METHODS:We retrospectively followed 463 participants wearing a regular respirator and 168 wearing the new brand respirator day-by-day when caring for COVID-19 patients until testing polymerase chain reaction positive for SARS-CoV-2 between 27th December 2020 and 14th January 2021.RESULTS:We observed seven and eight incident SARS-CoV-2-infected cases. This corresponded with daily infection rates of 0.2 and 0.5%, an incidence rate ratio of 0.4 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.1; 1.0], and an incidence rate difference of 0.3% (95% CI -0.1; 0.8) when comparing a regular with the new brand respirator.DISCUSSION:We regard the new brand respirator a sham intervention, and this study thus provides further evidence for the protective effect of respirators when exposed to SARS-CoV-2 virus.

IntroductionLittle is known about how electrical current passes through the human body except that it follows the physical rule of least resistance. Whether organs remote from the shortest route of the current can be affected is unknown, as different types of tissue vary in resistance. This may explain why some people exposed to electrical injury report symptoms from the central nervous system (CNS). In this study, we examined the association between exposure to cross-body electrical current and immediate CNS symptoms. Material and methodsIn a prospective cohort study, we followed 6960 members of the Danish Union of Electricians for 26 weeks using weekly questionnaires. We identified 2356 electrical shocks, and for each shock we asked whether the exposure was cross-body or same-side. We excluded those who reported exposure to the head as well as those who could not report the entry and exit points of the current. We examined two outcomes: becoming unconscious or having amnesia of the event. We use percentages to describe the data and logistic regression to analyze the results. ResultsWe found that unconsciousness and amnesia following electric shocks were rare events (0.6% and 2.2%, respectively). We found an increased risk of reporting unconsciousness and amnesia in those exposed to cross-body electrical shock exposure compared to those with same-side exposure (Odds Ratio 2.60[0.62 to 10.96] and Odds Ratio 2.18[0.87 to 5.48]). ConclusionAlthough the outcomes investigated are rare, we cannot rule out a possible effect on the CNS when persons are exposed to cross-body electrical current even though it does not pass through the head.

Background: Work-related violence and threats are major problems in many occupations, especially within the human service sector, with consequences at multiple levels, including reduced physical and mental health, increased absenteeism, and reduced organizational commitment. It is, therefore, crucial to identify risk factors for work-related violence and threats. However, only a few studies have examined whether negative acts at work increase the risk of work-related violence and threats from clients toward employees. Objective: To examine the associations between exposure to negative acts towards employees from colleagues, clients, or a combination of both, and the risk of work-related violence and threats perpetrated by clients towards employees in a longitudinal study. Methods: Questionnaire data were collected in 2010, 2011, and 2015. In total, 5333 employees from special schools, psychiatric wards, eldercare, and the Prison and Probation Services participated in the first round of data collection in 2010. Negative acts were measured in 2010 using the Short Negative Acts Questionnaire, while work-related threats and violence were measured at all three-time points. The analyses were performed using multilevel logistic regression. Results: Negative acts from clients and the combination of negative acts from both clients and colleagues were associated with later exposure to work-related violence and threats. The associations were observed after one year, and work-related threats were still present after four years. Conclusion and implications: Negative acts are associated with an increased risk of work-related violence and threats perpetrated by clients toward employees. Organizations may reduce the risk of work-related violence and threats by preventing negative acts.

Abstract Introduction To treat and properly care for COVID-19 patients it is vital to have healthy healthcare workers to ensure the continued function of the healthcare system and to prevent transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to patients, co-workers, and the community. Personal protective equipment (PPE) can prevent healthcare workers from being infected with and transmitting SARS-CoV-2. Experience and training are pivotal to ensure optimal protection. This study aims to examine the use and failure of PPE and compliance with PPE guidelines during the first and the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic among Danish healthcare workers. Methods Healthcare workers from the Central Denmark Region and the Capital Region of Denmark were invited to participate April–June 2020 during the first wave and November 2020–April 2021 during the second wave. Day-by-day, participants reported work procedures, use and failure of PPE, and compliance with PPE guidelines. Register-based information on sex, age, department, and profession was available for all participants. Results In total, 21 684 and 10 097 healthcare workers participated during the first and the second wave, respectively. During the first wave, 1.7% used filtering face piece-2 or -3 (FFP2 or FFP3) respirators and 8.2% used face masks [fluid resistant (type IIR) masks, masks with visor (typically type IIR), and other unspecified face masks] during physical contact with patients. During the second wave, the corresponding figures increased to 17.8% and 80.7%. During respiratory procedures, the use of FFP2 or FFP3 respirators increased from 5.6 to 24.3%, and the use of face masks from 14.7 to 77.8%. The no PPE use decreased from 21.3% during the first wave to 0.4% in the second wave, during respiratory procedures. Total PPE failures decreased from 0.7 to 0.4% from the first to second wave. The proportion not complying with PPE guidelines declined from 3.6 to 2.2% during physical contact with patients and from 6.5 to 4.6% during respiratory procedures. PPE failure and non-compliance varied by age, sex and type of department. Frequent reasons for non-compliance were forgetfulness and lack of time, and during the first but not during the second wave, limited availability of PPE. Conclusion We found a substantial increase in the use of PPE and a substantial decrease in PPE failures from the first to the second wave of COVID-19 in Denmark. However, there is still a need for continuous focus on compliance in use of PPE among healthcare workers.

Objectives This study aimed to assess if, during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers had increased severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection rates, following close contact with patients, co-workers and persons outside work with COVID-19. Methods A follow-up study of 5985 healthcare workers from Denmark was conducted between November 2020 and April 2021 and provided day-to-day information on COVID-19 contacts. SARS-CoV-2 infection was defined by the first positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test ever. Data was analyzed in multivariable Poisson regression models. Results The SARS-CoV-2 infection rates following close contact 3-7 days earlier with patients, co-workers and persons outside work with COVID-19 were 153.7, 240.8, and 728.1 per 100 000 person-days, respectively. This corresponded with age, sex, month, number of PCR tests and mutually adjusted incidence rate ratios of 3.17 [40 cases, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.15-4.66], 2.54 (10 cases, 95% CI 1.30-4.96) and 17.79 (35 cases, 95% CI 12.05-26.28). The risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection was thus lower, but the absolute numbers affected was higher following COVID-19 contact at work than COVID-19 contact off work. Conclusions Despite strong focus on preventive measures during the second wave of the pandemic, healthcare workers were still at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection when in close contact with patients or co-workers with COVID-19. There is a need for increased focus on infection control measures in order to secure healthcare workers' health and reduce transmission into the community during ongoing and future waves of SARS-CoV-2 and other infections.