Construction Workers' COVID Infection Rate Among Highest, Study Says

Wednesday, December 16, 2020 | 0

Construction workers appear to have some of the highest rates of COVID-19 infections, a new study of coronavirus test results suggests.

The preliminary study, by clinicians and a public health professor, found that among asymptomatic cases, construction workers in the Los Angeles area had a positive test rate of 5.7%. That was significantly higher than the next-highest group, food service workers, who had a 3.8% test rate.

For symptomatic cases, construction came in at 10.1%, second only to correctional facility workers, who had a 12.5% rate.

An author of the study and other worker advocates have said many construction workers may be coming to work infected and some of them are not covered by workers' compensation insurance, as required by law in most states.

“In the construction industry, people may still be coming to work if they have symptoms because some have no paid sick leave," said study co-author Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, a professor at UCLA’s School of Public Health, according to a Los Angeles TV news report and the Construction Dive news site.

The study examined some 730,000 COVID-19 test results in Los Angeles between August and October. Klausner said construction firms should test workers twice a week, every week, to help reduce the rate of infection.