Understanding the burden of SARS-CoV-2 infections among healthcare workers is a critical
component to inform occupational health policy and strategy. We conducted a systematic review and
meta-analysis to map and analayse the available global evidence on the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2
infections among healthcare workers. The random-effects adjusted pooled prevalence of COVID-19
among those studies that conducted the test using the antibody (Ab) method was 7% [95% CI: 3
to 17%]. The random-effects adjusted pooled prevalence of COVID-19 among those studies that
conducted the test using the PCR method was 11% [95% CI: 7 to 16%]. We found the burden of
COVID-19 among healthcare workers to be quite significant and therefore a cause for global health
concern. Furthermore, COVID-19 infections among healthcare workers affect service delivery through
workers’ sick leave, the isolation of confirmed cases and quarantine of contacts, all of which place
significant strain on an already shrunken health workforce.SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS : SUPPLEMENTARY FILE S1: PRISMA Flow Diagram, SUPPLEMENTARY FILE S2: List of full text articles reviewed, SUPPLEMENTARY FILE S3: Distribution of COVID-19 burden
among health care workers in included studies, SUPPLEMENTARY FILE S4: Characteristics of included
studies, SUPPLEMENTARY FILE S5: Egger’s plots for assessing the presence of publication bias for the
meta-analysis, SUPPLEMENTARY FILE S6: Presentation of findings for assessing and accounting for
small-study effects.https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerphSchool of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH
