Association of healthcare worker behaviors with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) risk during four pandemic periods and characteristics associated with high-risk behaviors

(Cambridge Press) In a large healthcare worker cohort, we quantified the association between behaviors and risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during different pandemic phases, adjusting for prior infection and vaccination. Individual characteristics, including personal concerns, were associated with these behaviors. Public health messaging should target high-risk populations and behaviors as the pandemic evolves. Transmission of severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) occurs primarily through respiratory particles from infected individuals. ¹ Proposed infection prevention measures include the use of face masks, outdoor gatherings, and increased ventilation; however, as the pandemic has evolved, few studies have evaluated how individual behaviors affect infection risk or which factors affect individual choices to engage in certain behaviors. We examined the association of healthcare worker (HCW) behaviors with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) risk during 4 pandemic periods to identify characteristics associated with high-risk behaviors.