Table 1.
Characteristics of the study participants and comparison with the population-based sample
| Home healthcare employees | Nursing homes employees | Population sample | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total participants | 131 | 296 | 472 |
| Age mean (sd) | 44.7 (12.7) | 43.5 (13.4) | 44.7 (11.7) |
| Sex | |||
| Female | 122 (93.1%) | 240 (81.1%) | 246 (52.1%) |
| Male | 9 (6.9%) | 56 (19.0%) | 226 (47.9%) |
| Smoking status | |||
| Current smoker | 34 (26.6%) | 81 (29.6%) | 117 (24.8%) |
| Ex-smoker | 30 (23.4%) | 49 (17.9%) | 252 (53.5%) |
| Never smoker | 64 (50.0%) | 144 (52.6%) | 102 (21.7%) |
| Citizenship | |||
| Swiss | 112 (85.5%) | 201 (67.9%) | 358 (75.8%) |
| Other | 19 (14.5%) | 96 (32.3%) | 114 (24.2%) |
| Education | |||
| Primary | 6 (4.6%) | 44 (14.9%) | 13 (2.8%) |
| Secondary | 68 (51.9%) | 139 (47.0%) | 185 (39.2%) |
| Tertiary | 53 (40.5%) | 88 (29.7%) | 268 (56.8%) |
| Number of other people in the same household | |||
| 0 | 22 (17.2%) | 43 (15.9%) | 70 (15.0%) |
| 1 | 43 (33.6%) | 83 (30.7%) | 176 (37.6%) |
| 2 or more | 63 (49.2%) | 144 (53.3%) | 144 (47.4%) |
| Chronic conditions | |||
| No chronic condition | 106 (82.8%) | 217 (78.9%) | 378 (80.3%) |
| At least one chronic conditiona | 22 (17.2%) | 58 (21.1%) | 93 (19.7%) |
| BMI mean (sd) | 24.6 (5.0) | 25.8 (4.7) | 24.9 (4.9) |
| EQ-5D-5L dimensions | |||
| Mobility problems present | 7 (5.3%) | 45 (15.2%) | 45 (9.5%) |
| Problems with self-care present | 3 (2.3%) | 30 (10.1%) | 5 (1.1%) |
| Problems during usual activities present | 9 (6.9%) | 33 (11.1%) | 36 (7.6%) |
| Pain or discomfort present | 43 (32.8%) | 115 (38.7%) | 134 (28.4%) |
| Anxiety or depression present | 23 (17.6%) | 83 (28.0%) | 117 (24.8%) |
| EQ visual analogue scale (0 = worst; 100 = best) mean (sd) | 86.6 (12.4) | 85.7 (12.2) | 85.3 (11.6) |
| Episodes of symptoms in 2020, at least for 3 days | |||
| None | 50 (38.2%) | 141 (47.6%) | 190 (40.3%) |
| 1 or more | 81 (61.8%) | 155 (52.4%) | 282 (59.7%) |
| Previous SARS-CoV-2 test results | |||
| Tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 | 1 (0.8%) | 18 (6.1%) | 0 (0.0%) |
| Tested negative for SARS-Cov-2 | 42 (32.1%) | 142 (48.0%) | 41 (8.7%) |
| No test done | 84 (64.1%) | 126 (42.6%) | 429 (91.1%) |
| Number of people in immediate environment previously tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 | |||
| 0 | 117 (89.3%) | 224 (75.4%) | 424 (89.8%) |
| 1 | 4 (3.1%) | 14 (4.7%) | 17 (3.6%) |
| 2 or more | 10 (7.6%) | 59 (19.9%) | 31 (6.6%) |
| Adherence to preventative measures in the last 7 days (1 = never; 5 = always), mean (sd) | |||
| Keeping social distance | 4.1 (0.8) | 4.1 (1.0) | 4.1 (0.7) |
| Only leaving house for essential tasks | 3.0 (1.1) | 3.7 (1.0) | 3.2 (1.1) |
| Wearing face mask | 4.2 (0.9) | 4.5 (0.8) | 3.0 (1.2) |
| Adhering to hygiene measures (washing hands, etc.) | 4.7 (0.5) | 4.7 (0.5) | 4.6 (0.6) |
| Use of SwissCovid App | |||
| Yes, regularly | 42 (32.8%) | 69 (25.4%) | 203 (53.7%) |
| No | 80 (62.5%) | 187 (68.8%) | 147 (38.9%) |
| Number of trips taken outside the country since January 2020 | |||
| 0 | 53 (40.5%) | 125 (42.2%) | 251 (53.2%) |
| 1 | 42 (32.1%) | 69 (23.3%) | 110 (23.3%) |
| 2 or more | 36 (27.5%) | 102 (34.5%) | 111 (23.5%) |
All values are shown as n (%) unless otherwise noted
sd standard deviation; BMI Body Mass Index; COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease 2019; EQ EuroQol; DFU Digital Follow Up; PCR Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction Test; SARS-CoV-2 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection
aExcluding allergies