Risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 virus infection among physiotherapists in Poland. Preparing for the 5th wave of the pandemic

Introduction:
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, over 532 million people have been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In the case of COVID-19, all medical personnel are particularly vulnerable. By becoming more familiar with the risk and protective factors among physiotherapists, we will be able to better prepare for similar occurrences in the future.

Aims:
The objective was to distinguish risk and protective factors for COVID-19 incidence among physiotherapists in Poland.

Materials and methods:
Links to the questionnaires were sent via email to all Polish registered physiotherapists in November 2020.

Results:
The study was conducted on a sample of 2044 physiotherapists. Multivariate analysis results indicated that physiotherapists' having a child or children in the first grades of primary school increased their risk of COVID-19 infection by more than 70% (compared to physiotherapists who did not have children of that age). Individuals working in hospitals had a more than 50% higher risk of contracting the disease, while working in a private practice reduced the risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 by nearly 40%. Working overtime increased the risk of contracting the disease by 30% compared to physiotherapists whose work did not exceed full-time hours.

Conclusions:
In order to prevent exposure to infection, special protective measures would need to be implemented for physiotherapists with preschool children, who work in a hospital and work overtime.