Occupation- and age-associated risk of SARS-CoV-2 test positivity, the Netherlands, June to October 2020

• Published in: Euro surveillance : bulletin européen sur les maladies transmissibles 2020-12, Vol.25 (50), p.7
• Main Authors: de Gier, Brechje, de Oliveira Bressane Lima, Priscila, van Gaalen, Rolina D, de Boer, Pieter T, Alblas, Jeroen, Ruijten, Marc, van Gageldonk-Lafeber, Arianne B, Waegemaekers, Toos, Schreijer, Anja, van den Hof, Susan, Hahné, Susan Jm
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age; Age Distribution; Aged; Child; Child, Preschool; Communicable Disease Control - methods; Contact Tracing; COVID-19; COVID-19 - diagnosis; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - prevention & control; COVID-19 diagnostic tests; COVID-19 Testing; Epidemics; Female; Health Services Accessibility; Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Incidence; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Mass Screening; Middle Aged; Netherlands - epidemiology; Occupational Exposure; Occupations; Occupations - statistics & numerical data; Pandemics; Physical Distancing; Quarantine; Rapid Communication; Risk; Risk factors; SARS-CoV-2 - isolation & purification; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Shelter in place; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1560-7917; 1025-496X; 1560-7917
• DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.50.2001884

High coronavirus incidence has prompted the Netherlands to implement a second lockdown. To elucidate the epidemic's development preceding this second wave, we analysed weekly test positivity in public test locations by population subgroup between 1 June and 17 October 2020. Hospitality and public transport workers, driving instructors, hairdressers and aestheticians had higher test positivity compared with a reference group of individuals without a close-contact occupation. Workers in childcare, education and healthcare showed lower test positivity.