Profile of Primary Health Care workers and occupational risk protection in the Covid-19 pandemic in Brazil

Abstract This article aimed to characterize the profile of Primary Health Care workers and analyze occupational risk protection measures in two Brazilian states during the Covid-19 pandemic. This is a quantitative survey study, with a random sample of 259 primary care health professionals from the states of Mato Grosso do Sul and São Paulo during the initial period of the pandemic. Most of the participants were female (85.3%), nursing professionals (40.6%) with a mean age of 39.1 years (SD ± 9.5), and from the state of São Paulo (73%). Descriptive analysis and Fisher’s exact test were used. As for occupational risk protection measures at work, it was found that early immunization against influenza had the highest frequency in Mato Grosso do Sul (93.8%), but 47.7% did not have access to Covid-19 testing in this state and 24.3% in São Paulo. Higher-level professionals had more access to the N95/PFF2 mask (10.2%) compared to assistants and technicians, with 6.5% and 7.8%, respectively. Possible differences were observed in the municipal administrations of the respective states, which do not seem to provide equitable access for Primary Health Care workers to protection, immunizers, and testing for SARS-CoV-2.