949 health workers in Finland catch coronavirus

A total of 949 healthcare workers have been infected with coronavirus in the country until Monday, according to the National Institute of Health and Welfare (THL).

So far, a total of 7,001 coronavirus cases have been diagnosed in Finland and 323 of them have died, said a THL press release.

In 2019, some 7.4% of all working-age people worked in health services. The share of healthcare workers of all working-age people diagnosed with coronavirus is higher – around 17%.

“The higher share is probably due to the fact that, in the early stages of the epidemic, testing focused on not only on tourists but also on health professionals, in particular. Currently, all those with mild symptoms are tested on a low threshold,” said THL Chief Physician Taneli Puumalainen.

About 8.4% of the healthcare workers infected with coronavirus have been hospitalised. So far, no cases of healthcare workers dying from coronavirus infection have been reported to the authorities.

Detailed background information, however, is not yet available on all confirmed cases.

Of the healthcare workers infected with coronavirus, 652 had been in close contact with persons who had tested positive for coronavirus. Of them, 367, or 56%, were in close contact at work and 285 elsewhere, for example their close friends and family or in connection with tourism.

Even so, exposure in the workplace does not necessarily mean that a healthcare worker has been infected by a patient, as appropriate protective equipment has most likely been used when treating patients. Exposure may also involve close contact with, for example, a colleague who has become ill.

“However, we do not know whether healthcare workers have been infected at the workplace or outside of it. ….,” Puumalainen added.