The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on workers and posed challenges for workplace health and safety. Understanding the types of work settings in which COVID-19 transmission occurred most frequently, and the occupations and industries that were most affected, can help inform prevention policies and practices.
This study examined occupational differences in COVID-19 testing, diagnosis, and hospitalization rates among Ontario workers.
The Occupational Disease Surveillance System (ODSS) is a system that monitors disease outcomes among more than two million Ontario workers.
Workers in the ODSS were linked to the Ontario Laboratories Information System (OLIS) to identify COVID-19 lab test results, the Discharge Abstract Database (DAD) to identify COVID-19 hospitalizations, and the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS) to identify COVID-19 emergency department visits between 2020 and 2021. These data sources were used to examine risk of COVID-19 by occupation, industry, and geographic region.
Learn More About the ODSS
View Summary Sheet: COVID-19 infection among Ontario workers based on PCR test results
View Summary Sheet: COVID-19 infection among Ontario workers based on hospital records
View Summary Sheet: COVID-19 related hospitalization and emergency department visits among Ontario workers
This project was done in collaboration with Public Health Ontario (PHO).
This project was funded by a grant provided by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB, Ontario). The provision of grant support by the WSIB does not in any way infer or imply endorsement of the content by the WSIB.
