Connecticut occupational disease claims rise during COVID: Report

Reported incidents of occupational disease in Connecticut increased significantly in 2022, according to a new report by the state’s Workers’ Compensation Commission.

The report, done in collaboration with the University of Connecticut, the Department of Labor and the Department of Public Health, showed an increase in occupational disease cases across the board.

Researchers said the data from 2020 to 2022 was “heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and resulted in dramatic changes in the workplace.”

The data used in the report came from the Workers’ Compensation Commission, the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The report says occupational diseases are harder to detect than workplace injuries because they manifest over a longer duration.

Infectious disease was the second-largest category of occupational disease in the workers comp system, and COVID-19 accounted for nearly 25% of all cases reported, the report states.

Other diseases highlighted in the report were respiratory disorders, carbon monoxide and lead poisonings, heat related disorders and skin conditions.

Researchers also found close to 600 reports of potential exposure to bloodborne pathogens, accounting for 27% of all infectious disease reports during the study period.

The report says most COVID-19 cases occurring between 2020 and 2022 were seen in health care settings outside of workers comp, such as emergency departments, so many were not reported through occupational health clinics.