Research/Studies

Atlanta — Employers should prioritize COVID-19 exposure controls for essential workers whose existing medical conditions put them at higher risk of severe illness from the potentially deadly disease, say researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Raleigh, NC — Health care professionals are at significantly greater risk than the general public of experiencing mental health issues such as depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic, results of a recent study show.

Washington — The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on workplace safety is among the issues explored in the AFL-CIO’s annual report on the state of safety and health protections for U.S. workers.

Boston — A universal masking policy for employees at Mass General Brigham led to a significant decrease in the rate of COVID-19 infections among workers, results of a recent study by researchers at the health system show.

Lowell, MA — During the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic, only 20% of workers felt their employer met their needs to protect their safety and health, but many employers have since worked to earn employee trust in that regard, results of a recent global survey indicate.

New York — More than a third of business leaders don’t know when their employees will return to the workplace as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, according to the results of a recent survey.

Boston — Employers in the health care industry need to ensure adequate availability of personal protective equipment and develop additional strategies to protect their frontline workers from COVID-19, a team of researchers has concluded after finding that health care workers in the United States and United Kingdom were at least three times more likely than the general public to report being infected – even after accounting for other risk factors – during the first several weeks of the pandemic.

West Lafayette, IN — Researchers from Purdue University have developed new designs for N95 facemasks they say will extend the shelf life of the respiratory protection commonly used by health care workers.

Washington — “Large numbers” of workers in the service industry “have an elevated risk of hearing loss and need immediate hearing conservation efforts,” NIOSH researchers say in a recent study.

Stoke-on-Trent, England — Office workers: If you’re working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, have you continued your habit of eating lunch at your desk? Researchers say several reasons – including feelings of guilt – may explain why many workers skip their lunch break.