Table 2.
Participant data collected from a plastic manufacturing company, where a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak occurred, March 2021
| Variable | Categories |
Non-cases n (%) (n=45) |
Total cases n (%) (n=16) |
Confirmedb n (%) (n=13) |
Suspectedc n (%) (n=3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RT-PCR testingd | Positive testa | 0 | 9 (64.3) | 9 (69.2) | 0 |
| Negative test | 40 (100) | 5 (35.7) | 4 (30.8) | 1 (100) | |
| Missing | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| Anti-SARS-CoV-2 N (nucleocapsid) testing | Positive test | 9 (27.3)g | 12 (100) | 12 (100) | 0 |
| Negative test | 24 (72.7) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Missing | 12 | 4 | 1 | 3 | |
| Any self-reported testing during outbreak periode | Positive test | 0 | 15 (100) | 12 (100) | 3 (100) |
| Negative test | 39 (100) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Missing | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Sex | Male | 29 (65.9) | 6 (37.5) | 6 (46.2) | 0 |
| Female | 15 (34.1) | 10 (62.5) | 7 (53.9) | 3 (100) | |
| Missing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Age | Mean (min - max) | 36 (19 - 63) | 42 (18 - 60) | 42 (23 - 60) | 42 (18 - 57) |
| Missing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Signs & Symptoms during outbreak periode | None reported | 44 (97.8) | 5 (31.3) | 4 (30.8) | 1 (33.3) |
| Fever | 0 | 6 (37.5) | 4 (30.8) | 2 (66.7) | |
| Productive cough | 0 | 3 (18.8) | 3 (23.1) | 0 | |
| Dry cough | 0 | 5 (33.3) | 4 (30.8) | 1 (50) | |
| Shortness of breath | 1 (2.2) | 5 (33.3) | 5 (38.5) | 0 | |
| Loss of taste and smell | 0 | 8 (53.3) | 7 (53.9) | 1 (50) | |
| Missing | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Pay change if participant needed to self-isolate due to COVID-19 | No change | 7 (17.5) | 4 (26.7) | 4 (33.3) | 0 |
| Decrease / Become zero | 21 (52.5) | 7 (46.7) | 5 (41.7) | 2 (66.7) | |
| Don’t know | 12 (30.0) | 4 (26.7) | 3 (25) | 1 (33.3) | |
| Missing | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Pay change if the workplace closed for two weeks due to COVID-19 | No change | 5 (12.5) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Decrease | 16 (40.0) | 6 (40) | 4 (33.3) | 2 (66.7) | |
| Become zero | 1 (2.5) | 1 (6.7) | 1 (8.3) | 0 | |
| Don’t know | 18 (45.0) | 8 (53.3) | 7 (58.3) | 1 (33.3) | |
| Missing | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Concerns about reduced income if participant needed to self-isolate due to COVID-19 | No, not at all | 10 (25.0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No, not so much | 8 (20.0) | 3 (20) | 3 (25) | 0 | |
| Yes, slightly | 10 (25.0) | 6 (40) | 4 (33.3) | 1 (33.3) | |
| Yes, very much | 6 (15.0) | 4 (26.7) | 3 (25) | 1 (33.3) | |
| Not sure | 6 (15.0) | 2 (13.3) | 2 (16.7) | 0 | |
| Missing | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Able to follow social distancing rules at the workplace and keep distance from your co-workers | Rarely | 2 (5.3) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sometimes | 3 (7.9) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Mostly | 33 (86.8) | 10 (100) | 9 (100) | 1 (100) | |
| Missing | 7 | 6 | 4 | 2 | |
| Participant needed to talk loudly or to ‘lean in’ to listen and speak to people at work | No | 8 (21.1) | 4 (33.3) | 3 (30.0) | 1 (50.0) |
| Yes, sometimes | 21 (55.3) | 6 (50.0) | 5 (50.0) | 1 (50.0) | |
| Yes, most of the time | 8 (21.1) | 2 (16.7) | 2 (20.0) | 0 | |
| Yes, always | 1 (2.6) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Missing | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | |
| Facilities to wash or sanitise your hands at the workplace as often as was needed | Yes | 38 (100) | 12 (100) | 10 (100) | 2 (100) |
| Missing | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | |
| Close contact for social or leisure activities (such as going to pubs and restaurants)f | 0 | 35 (92.1) | 14 (93.3) | 11 (91.7) | 3 (100) |
| 1 to 20 | 3 (7.9) | 1 (6.7) | 1 (8.3) | ||
| Missing | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Close contact at workf | 0 | 7 (18.4) | 7 (50) | 4 (36.4) | 3 (100) |
| 1 to 2 | 11 (28.9) | 4 (28.6) | 4 (36.4) | 0 | |
| 3 to 20 | 16 (42.1) | 3 (21.4) | 3 (27.3) | 0 | |
| 21 to 100 | 4 (10.5) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | |
| Missing | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| Close contacts travelling or commuting for workf | 0 | 29 (74.4) | 13 (86.7) | 10 (83.3) | 3 (100) |
| 1 to 20 | 10 (25.6) | 2 (13.3) | 2 (16.7) | 0 | |
| Missing | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Close contacts for essential activities (such as going food shopping or to the GP)f | 0 | 17 (43.6) | 10 (66.7) | 7 (58.3) | 3 (100) |
| 1 to 2 | 10 (25.6) | 3 (20) | 3 (25) | 0 | |
| 3 to 100 or over | 12 (30.8) | 2 (13.3) | 2 (16.7) | 0 | |
| Missing | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Contact with a positive individual | No | 17 (43.6) | 2 (13.3) | 2 (16.7) | 0 |
| Yes, somebody I live with | 0 | 5 (33.3) | 4 (33.3) | 1 (33.3) | |
| Yes, somebody I work with | 8 (20.5) | 4 (26.7) | 3 (25) | 1 (33.3) | |
| Unknown | 14 (35.9) | 4 (26.7) | 3 (25) | 1 (33.3) | |
| Missing | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Other members of the household, under 20 | None | 9 (31.0) | 3 (37.5) | 3 (50) | 0 |
| Yes, aged 0 to 11 | 12 (41.4) | 3 (37.5) | 2 (33.3) | 1 (50) | |
| Yes, aged 12 to 19 | 12 (41.4) | 4 (50) | 2 (33.3) | 2 (100) | |
| Missing | 16 | 8 | 7 | 1 | |
| Shared goods or tools that had been handled by co-workers | No | 9 (23.7) | 3 (27.3) | 2 (20) | 1 (100) |
| Yes | 29 (76.3) | 8 (72.7) | 8 (80) | 0 | |
| Missing | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | |
| Frequency of wearing gloves at work | Never | 15 (39.5) | 8 (66.7) | 6 (60) | 2 (100) |
| Less than half the time | 9 (23.7) | 1 (8.3) | 1 (10) | 0 | |
| More than half the time / Nearly all the time | 14 (36.8) | 3 (25) | 3 (30) | 0 | |
| Missing | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | |
| Frequency of wearing washable mask / face covering | Never | 8 (21.1) | 3 (27.3) | 3 (33.3) | 0 |
| Less than half the time | 6 (15.8) | 1 (9.1) | 1 (11.1) | 0 | |
| More than half the time / Nearly all the time | 24 (63.2) | 7 (63.6) | 5 (55.6) | 2 (100) | |
| Missing | 7 | 5 | 4 | 1 | |
| Frequency of wearing surgical mask / disposable mask | Never | 21 (56.8) | 3 (27.3) | 3 (33.3) | 0 |
| Less than half the time | 4 (10.8) | 4 (36.4) | 3 (33.3) | 1 (50) | |
| More than half the time / Nearly all the time | 12 (32.4) | 4 (36.4) | 3 (33.3) | 1 (50) | |
| Missing | 8 | 5 | 4 | 1 | |
| Frequency of wearing mask-type FFP2 or FFP3 | Never | 31 (88.6) | 7 (70) | 7 (77.8) | 0 |
| Less than half the time | 2 (5.7) | 1 (10) | 1 (11.1) | 0 | |
| More than half the time / Nearly all the time | 2 (5.7) | 2 (20) | 1 (11.1) | 1 (100) | |
| Missing | 10 | 6 | 4 | 2 | |
| Employment contract | Permanent | 39 (92.9) | 13 (86.7) | 11 (91.7) | 2 (66.7) |
| Less than a year fixed | 2 (4.8) | 1 (6.7) | 1 (8.3) | 0 | |
| Zero hours contract | 0 | 1 (6.7) | 0 | 1 (33.3) | |
| Other | 1 (2.4) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Vaccination prior to the outbreak | Missing | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1st dose | 6 (14.3) | 1 (7.1) | 1 (9.1) | 0 | |
| 2nd dose | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Missing | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| Vaccine type | Pfizer / BioNTech | 2 (33.3) | 1 (100) | 1 (100) | 0 |
| Oxford / AstraZeneca | 4 (66.7) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| BMI category | Normal weight (18.5 to 24.9) | 19 (50.0) | 4 (25.0) | 4 (30.8) | 0 |
| Overweight (25.0 to 29.9) | 11 (28.9) | 6 (37.5) | 5 (38.5) | 1 (33.3) | |
| Obese (30+) | 8 (21.1) | 3 (18.8) | 2 (15.4) | 1 (33.3) | |
| Missing | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| Smoking status | No, never | 17 (41.5) | 10 (71.4) | 8 (66.7) | 2 (100) |
| No, ex-smoker | 7 (17.1) | 2 (14.3) | 2 (16.7) | 0 | |
| Yes, currently | 17 (41.5) | 2 (14.3) | 2 (16.7) | 0 | |
| Missing | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Shared meeting rooms | None | 17 (37.8) | 3 (27.3) | 1 (11.1) | 2 (100) |
| Yes, co-workers only | 21 (55.2) | 8 (72.7) | 8 (88.9) | 0 | |
| Missing | 7 | 5 | 4 | 1 | |
| Shared lockers | None | 19 (50.0) | 8 (66.7) | 6 (60) | 2 (100) |
| Yes, co-workers only | 19 (50.0) | 4 (33.3) | 4 (40) | 0 | |
| Missing | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | |
| Shared car | None | 35 (97.2) | 11 (100) | 9 (100) | 2 (100) |
| Yes, members of the public | 1 (2.8) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Missing | 9 | 5 | 4 | 1 | |
| Shared canteen | None | 7 (18.4) | 3 (25) | 2 (20) | 1 (50) |
| Yes, co-workers only | 29 (76.3) | 9 (75) | 8 (80) | 1 (50) | |
| Missing | 9 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
Abbreviations: COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019, Ig Immunoglobulin, RT-PCR Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, BMI Body Mass Index, FFP Filtering Face Piece, GP General Practitioner
aFive out of 61 non-cases did not undertake any testing as part of COVID-OUT and so are not confirmed negatives but classified as non-cases
bConfirmed cases were defined as participants who presented during the outbreak period with: (i) RT-PCR evidence of a SARS-CoV-2 infection, (ii) N-specific seroconversion, or (iii) self-reporting of a positive test (i.e., by RT-PCR or LFD) with positive N antibody results.
cSuspected cases were defined as participants who presented during the outbreak period with no positive RT-PCR or N antibody results in COVID-OUT testing but with: (i) self-reporting of a positive test (i.e., by RT-PCR or LFD) or (ii) symptoms consistent with COVID-19 defined as: (a) acute onset of fever (>37.8C) and new continuous cough or (b) acute onset of any three or more of fever (>37.8C), cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, runny nose, fatigue, sore throat, muscle or body aches, headache, nausea or vomiting, and/or diarrhoea.
dIndividuals lost to follow up (9 individuals for 1st PCR, 26 individuals for 2nd PCR, 34 individuals for 3rd PCR)
eOutbreak period: 1st March to 17th March
f‘Close Contact’ defined as typically spending more than 15 minutes within 2 metres of someone
fCategories not mutually exclusive
gAccording to the pre-defined case definition individuals with a positive anti-SARS-CoV-2 N (nucleocapsid) tests had to also self-report a positive SARS-CoV-2 test to be classified as a case