Table 1. Possible data sets for occupational analyses.
| Data source | Occupation data | Confounders | Outcome data | Availability to
researchers? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office of National Statistics (ONS) data | ||||
|
Numerator: ONS registered deaths
Denominator: Annual Population Survey |
Current occupation | Age, sex, residence,
deprivation, ethnicity |
COVID-19 on death
certificate |
Yes |
| National Health Service (NHS) data | ||||
| NHS hospitalization data | No | Age, sex, residence,
deprivation, ethnicity |
COVID-19 admission | Yes |
| NHS workplace absence reports | Current occupation | Unknown | COVID-19 as cause | Yes |
| OpenSafely | No | Age, sex, residence,
deprivation, ethnicity, comorbidities |
Hospital death from
COVID-19 |
Yes |
| HSE data | ||||
| Workplace sickness reports (RIDDOR) | Current occupation | No | COVID-19 as cause | Yes |
| Population cohorts | ||||
| UK Biobank + many others | Most are using Wellcome COVID-19 questionnaire;
includes employment, sector, travel to work |
Multiple | SARS-CoV-2 positive test | Yes (UK
Biobank) |
| Population surveys | ||||
| ONS Infection Survey | Current occupation, working from home, transport | Age, sex, ethnicity,
geographical identifiers |
Series of SARS-CoV-2
tests |
Yes, under
application |
| Understanding Society | Employment, work conditions, travel to work - key
work sector, industry, 3-digit SOC code. |
Age, sex, ethnicity,
geographical identifiers |
SARS-CoV-2 test
Symptoms |
Yes |
|
Real-time Assessment of Community Transmission
(REACT) |
Unknown | Yes | COVID-19 symptoms and
test results |
Possible |
| Apps | ||||
| ZOE (King’s College) | Not currently | Yes | COVID-19 symptoms and
test results |
Possible |
| Population testing | ||||
| Pillar 1 | No | No | SARS-CoV-2 test | Possible |
| Pillar 2 | No | No | SARS-CoV-2 test | Possible |
| Test-Trace-Isolate (TTI) | No | No | Close contacts | Possible |
| HSE/PHE data | ||||
| Publica Health England (PHE) outbreak
investigations 10 |
Current occupation and exposures | Age, sex, residence,
deprivation, ethnicity |
SARS-CoV-2 test | Yes |