Occupation and SARS-CoV-2 infection risk among workers during the first pandemic wave in Germany: potential for bias

摘要

The paper by Reuter et al presents results of a study investigating differential risk of SARS-CoV2 infection by occupation. The results suggest that infection rates were higher in managerial jobs and lower in manufacturing occupations and that there was an inverse social gradient with infection. We argue that this finding could at least partly be explained by bias introduced due to differential likelihood of getting tested for COVID-19. We recommend that the authors re-analyse their data using a test-negative design and present the results of these analyses in the response. ? 2022, Nordic Association of Occupational Safety and Health. All rights reserved.