Effectiveness of Frequent COVID-19 Surveillance in Rural Workplaces
Background
Many studies have looked at COVID-19 risks for healthcare workers, but fewer have focused on essential workers in other fields. There is limited guidance on how to keep workplaces safe outside of healthcare. The CDC recommends workplace surveillance, but few studies have explored how well this works.
Objective
This study aimed to see if frequent COVID-19 testing at rural workplaces, like mining sites, could help prevent the spread of the virus, especially since remote work and distancing are often not possible in these settings.
Methods
From February 2021 to March 2022, we conducted a study with 169 miners in New Mexico (who received the intervention) and 61 miners in Wyoming (the control group). We used rapid antigen tests on self-collected nasal swabs from the intervention group. We measured:
- The acceptance rate of the testing among miners.
- The rate of new COVID-19 infections over 12 months, comparing both groups.
Results
The intervention had a high acceptance rate of 96.4% (11,413 out of 11,842 tests). The miners who participated in the testing showed a lower rate of new infections (14% vs. 38% in the control group; P=.002). The rapid tests had a 100% accuracy when compared to laboratory tests.
Conclusions
Frequent COVID-19 testing at workplaces is a practical solution to keep essential rural jobs running and to reduce virus spread. These results can guide safety measures in similar workplaces during outbreaks.
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