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Table 2 Participant data collected from a plastic manufacturing company, where a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak occurred, March 2021

From: A SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in a plastics manufacturing plant

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

  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
  2. 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
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. dIndividuals lost to follow up (9 individuals for 1st PCR, 26 individuals for 2nd PCR, 34 individuals for 3rd PCR)
  6. eOutbreak period: 1st March to 17th March
  7. f‘Close Contact’ defined as typically spending more than 15 minutes within 2 metres of someone
  8. fCategories not mutually exclusive
  9. 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
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