Covid-19 Risk by work-related factors: Pooled analysis of individual linked data from 14 cohorts

Background SARS-CoV-2 infection rates vary by occupation, but the association with work-related characteristics (such as home working, key-worker, or furlough) are not fully understood and may depend on ascertainment approach. We assessed infection risks across work-related characteristics and compared findings using different ascertainment approaches. Methods Participants of 14 UK-based longitudinal cohort studies completed surveys before and during the COVID-19 pandemic about their health, work, and behaviour. These data were linked to NHS digital health records, including COVID-19 diagnostic testing, within the UK Longitudinal Linkage Collaboration (UK-LLC) research environment. Poisson regression modelled self-reported infection and diagnostic test confirmed infection within each cohort for work-related characteristics. Risk Ratios (RR) were then combined using random effects meta-analysis. Results Between March 2020 and March 2021, 72,290 individuals completed 167,302 surveys. Overall, 11% of 138,924 responses self-reported an infection, whereas 1.9% of 159,820 responses had a linked positive test. Self-reported infection risk was greater in key-workers vs not (RR=1.24(95%C.I.=1.17,1.31), among non-home working (1.08(0.98,1.19)) or some home working (1.08(0.97,1.17)) vs all home working. Part-time workers vs full-time (0.94(0.89,0.99)), and furlough vs not (0.97(0.88,1.01)) had reduced risk. Results for the linked positive test outcome were comparable in direction but greater in magnitude e.g. an 1.85(1.56,2.20) in key-workers. Conclusion The UK-LLC provides new opportunities for researchers to investigate risk factors, including occupational factors, for ill-health events in multiple largescale UK cohorts. Risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 illness appeared to be associated with work-related characteristics. Associations using linked diagnostic test data appeared stronger than self-reported infection status. What is already known on this topic What this study adds How this study might affect Research Practice or Policy ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement This work was supported by the National Core Studies, an initiative funded by UKRI, NIHR and the Health and Safety Executive. The COVID-19 Longitudinal Health and Wellbeing National Core Study was funded by the Medical Research Council (MC\_PC\_20030). Understanding Society is an initiative funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and various Government Departments, with scientific leadership by the Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, and survey delivery by NatCen Social Research and Kantar Public. The Understanding Society COVID-19 study is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ES/K005146/1) and the Health Foundation (2076161). The research data are distributed by the UK Data Service. Next Steps, British Cohort Study 1970 and National Child Development Study 1958 are supported by the Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Resource Centre 2015-20 grant (ES/M001660/1) and a host of other co-founders. The COVID-19 data collections in these four cohorts were funded by the UKRI grant Understanding the economic, social and health impacts of COVID-19 using lifetime data: evidence from 5 nationally representative UK cohorts (ES/V012789/1). The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing was developed by a team of researchers based at University College London, NatCen Social Research, the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the University of Manchester and the University of East Anglia. The data were collected by NatCen Social Research. The funding is currently provided by the National Institute on Aging in the US, and a consortium of UK government departments coordinated by the National Institute for Health Research. Funding has also been received by the Economic and Social Research Council. The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing Covid-19 Substudy was supported by the UK Economic and Social Research Grant (ESRC) ES/V003941/1. Generation Scotland received core support from the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health Directorates [CZD/16/6] and the Scottish Funding Council [HR03006]. Genotyping of the GS:SFHS samples was carried out by the Genetics Core Laboratory at the Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility, Edinburgh, Scotland and was funded by the Medical Research Council UK and the Wellcome Trust (Wellcome Trust Strategic Award 'STratifying Resilience and Depression Longitudinally' (STRADL) Reference 104036/Z/14/Z). Generation Scotland is funded by the Wellcome Trust (216767/Z/19/Z). Recruitment to this study was facilitated by SHARE - the Scottish Health Research Register and Biobank. BiB Born in Bradford (BiB) receives core infrastructure funding from the Wellcome Trust (WT101597MA), and a joint grant from the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) and UK Economic and Social Science Research Council (ESRC) (MR/N024397/1) and one from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) (CS/16/4/32482). The National Institute for Health Research Yorkshire and Humber ARC, and Clinical Research Network both provide support for BiB research. SVK acknowledges funding from a NRS Senior Clinical Fellowship (SCAF/15/02). SVK acknowledge funding from the Medical Research Council (MC\_UU\_00022/2) and the Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office (SPHSU17). JW acknowledges funding from the Belgian National Scientific Fund (FNRS) CQ grant no.40010931. OKLH, RJS, SVK, and ED acknowledges funding from the Medical Research Council [MC\_UU\_00022/2] and the Scottish Chief Scientist Office [SPHSU17]. Note these codes will apply to all listed UoG authors. RJS is funded by Health Data Research UK (SS005). Role of funder. The funders had no role in the methodology, analysis or interpretation of the findings presented in this manuscript. ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: The UK LLC has ethical approval from the Health Research Authority Research Ethics Committee (Haydock Committee; ref: 20/NW/0446) I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes The data is available on request from the UK-LLC . The analysis code including detailing how variables were derived for each longitudinal cohort study are available from .