Impacto de la variabilidad de criterios para el retorno al trabajo del personal sanitario con enfermedad covid-19: estudio multicentrico en navarra, la rioja y galicia. marzo-septiembre de 2020

March-September Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has generated a great bur-den on health systems, and healthcare workers have been the most affected. In Spain, the Health Ministry issued common protocols regarding the return-to-work of healthcare workers presenting a negative PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test result and comple-te resolution of symptoms. Some autonomous com-munities decided to include a CT (Cycle Threshold) value criterion as well. The aim of this paper was to compare the time intervals required to obtain a negati-ve PCR result by means of both criteria. Methods: A multicenter, cross-sectional study was performed from March to September of 2020, in the health areas of Navarra, La Rioja and Vigo (Galicia), managed by their own Occupational Risk Prevention Units. The PCR negativization time in-tervals were analyzed according to gender, age, pro-fessional category and the PCR repetition criteria used (clinical or defined by CT). Mean difference calculation by Student's t-test and Kaplan-Meier sur-vival analyzes were conducted. Results: The sample amounted to a total of 1,052 workers: 673 from Navarra, 335 from La Rioja and 44 from Vigo, with an average age of 46 years, and of which 81% were women, 35.48% nur-sing personnel and 23.65% physicians. No statisti-cally significant differences were found between the PCR negativization time periods with any of the va-riables, except with the CT criterion, which presen-ted a mean of 6.49 days (95% CI, 4.96-8.02), longer and displaying positively displaced survival curves. Conclusions: The CT criterion for carrying out the control PCR test lengthened the reincorporation of essential personnel in the fight against the pandemic.