Introduction:

Healthcare workers constitute an essential component of health systems, as they facilitate access to care and face particular exposure during epidemiological emergencies. Following the confirmation of the first COVID-19 case in Paraguay, authorities implemented various measures to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2, with the hospital environment representing a critical setting for preventing transmission between healthcare workers and patients. In this context, the study aimed to describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers in Paraguay during the 2020-2022 period.

Materials and Methods:

Cross-sectional study based on data from notifications submitted to the National Program for the Prevention, Surveillance, and Control of Healthcare-Associated Infections. We included records of actively employed healthcare workers and excluded those with incomplete data, inactive personnel, and ruled-out cases. We summarized quantitative variables using measures of central tendency and dispersion. The use of anonymized data ensured that personnel privacy was not compromised.

Results:

Of all confirmed cases, 72.76% were female, with a median age of 37 years. We recorded 794 hospitalizations and 188 deaths. The most frequent comorbidities were obesity, pulmonary diseases, diabetes, and heart disease. The case fatality rate during the 2020-2022 period was 0.52% among healthcare workers who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.

Conclusion:

SARS-CoV-2 infection primarily affected women aged 29 to 39 years, predominantly in the nursing sector. We recorded 36,015 cases, 794 hospitalizations, and 188 deaths, with a case fatality rate of 0.52%. The most frequent comorbidities were obesity, chronic heart disease, and diabetes. The highest concentration of cases occurred in the Central and Capital health regions, identified as the main transmission hotspots during the pandemic.

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