Construction workers have the highest rate of asymptomatic COVID-19 infections of any occupation, according to a study conducted in the Los Angeles area.
The study was conducted by Curative, the company administering the tests, between August and October on more than 730,000 COVID test results. People who listed construction as their occupation had an asymptomatic COVID-19 positivity rate of 5.7%—more than healthcare workers (3.4%), first responders (2.6%) and retail or manufacturing workers (2.5%). Symptomatic COVID-19 rates, meaning they were experiencing symptoms of the virus and tested positive, were 10.1% for construction workers, below only correctional workers (12.5%).
"In the construction industry, people may still be coming to work if they have symptoms because there’s no paid sick leave," Dr. Jeff Klausner of UCLA School of Public Health, who is also Curative's medical director, told NBC Los Angeles.
The study has not been certified by peer review.
The full study can be found here.
