Frontline losses: absenteeism among firefighters during the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objectives: to describe absenteeism related to suspected (acute respiratory infection cases) and confirmed cases of COVID-19 and other diagnoses among firefighters in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Methods: we analyzed official records of sick leave due to health problems. The analysis was organized into: 1) graphs stratified by diagnostic group; 2) descriptive analyses of proportion of sick leave and percentage of working days lost due to acute respiratory infection; Chi-squared comparison of proportion of sick leave and percentage of working days lost due to acute respiratory infection, and other diagnoses, between 2019 and 2020. Results: the graphical analysis showed a regular sick leave pattern before the onset of the pandemic, a peak in sick leave due to acute respiratory infection after the onset of the pandemic, and a new sick leave pattern after the peak period. The proportion of sick leave and the percentage of working days lost due to acute respiratory infection increased by 312% and 580% in 2020, respectively. In contrast, the percentage of working days lost due to other diagnoses decreased by 16%. Conclusion: the change in the absenteeism profile among firefighters reflects formal employment contract, institutional policies and risk perception about COVID-19.