Supplementary Material for: Causes and risk factors for absenteeism among medical staff in German specialized lung clinics during the COVID pandemic

Background: Staff shortages pose a major challenge to the health system. Objectives: To clarify the role of different causative factors we investigated staff absenteeism during the COVID pandemic. Methods: The prospective multicentre cohort study assessed the private and professional impact of the pandemic on health care workers (HCW) using a specially developed questionnaire. HCWs from 7 specialist lung clinics throughout Germany were surveyed from the 1st to the 23rd of December 2021. The current analysis addresses pandemic-related absenteeism. Results: 1134 HCW (55%, female18.4% male, 26.3% not willing to provide information on age or gender) participated. 72.8% had received at least one vaccination dose at the time of the survey, and 9.4% reported a COVID infection. Of those with positive tests, 98% reported home quarantine for median (IQR) 14 (12-17) days; 10.3% of those who ultimately tested negative also reported quarantine periods of 14 (7-14) days. 32.2% of vaccinated respondents reported absenteeism due to vaccine reactions of 2 (1-3) days. Overall, 37% (n=420) of HCW reported pandemic-related absenteeism, with 3524 total days of absenteeism, of which 2828 were due to illness/quarantine and 696 to vaccination effects. Independent risk factors for COVID-related absenteeism ≥5 days included already having COVID, but also concern about long-term effects of COVID (OR 1,782, p=0.014); risk factors for vaccine-related absenteeism ≥2 days included concerns late effects of vaccination (OR 2.2, 95%CI 1.4-3.1, p<0.000). Conclusion: Staff shortages due to quarantine or infections and vaccine reactogenicity have put a strain on German respiratory specialists. The fact that staff concerns also contributed to absenteeism may be helpful in managing future pandemic events to minimize staff absenteeism.