Marked Decreases in Time Lost from Work among COVID-19 Claimants during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: An Observational Study of Claims Filed at a Nationwide US Workers Compensation Insurance Carrier

Dan L. Hunt, Edward J. Bernacki, Nimisha Kalia, Robert A. Lavin, Larry Yuspeh, Nicholas F. Tsourmas, Nina Leung, Judith Green-Mckenzie, Xuguang Tao

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Objective To explore the long-term persistence of COVID-19-related impairment and the ability to work after the acute phase of the illness. Method The 19,101 COVID-19 workers' compensation claims filed between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021, with follow-up to May 31, 2022, were analyzed. Results The average time lost from work decreased from 77 days in the first quarter of 2020 to 9.2 days in the fourth quarter of 2021, and the proportion of claims with 30 days or more of lost time decreased from 40.4% to 2.8 days in the same time frame. Conclusion COVID-19 indemnity claims filed in later quarters of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic have much lower average time lost from work and lower proportions of workers' compensation claims with more than 30, 60, and 150 days of lost time compared with earlier quarters.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)E255-E260
JournalJournal of occupational and environmental medicine
Volume65
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 1 2023

Keywords

  • COVID-19
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • indemnity
  • lost time
  • pandemic
  • return to work
  • trend
  • workers' compensation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Marked Decreases in Time Lost from Work among COVID-19 Claimants during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: An Observational Study of Claims Filed at a Nationwide US Workers Compensation Insurance Carrier'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this