Introduction:

In the work practices of health workers, occupational risks develop mainly in the hospital environment, and these professionals are routinely exposed to multiple risks.

Objective:

To reflect on the occupational risks that involve health workers in the pandemic of the new coronavirus (COVID-19).

Methods:

It is a qualitative theoretical-reflective essay, based on national and international literature. The search for studies was possible due to the choice of controlled descriptors:

“Occupational risks”

,

“Health personnel”

,

“Coronavirus infections”

,

“Coronavirus"

, and extensive Latin American and international databases. The productions published in the last five years have been included.

Results:

The COVID-19 pandemic scenario causes uncertainties for healthcare workers working on the front lines to deal with the virus. The epidemiological characteristics of the new coronavirus and how it works in the long term are not fully understood. The epidemiological characteristics of the new coronavirus and how it works in the long term are not fully known. Therefore, the occupational risks in which workers are involved have been exacerbated at times, in view of the level of infectivity that the virus has, in addition to its consequences for the physical and mental health of the whole society.

Conclusion:

Reflecting on what the virus contamination scenario causes is essential to know and control the risks to which health workers are exposed and, thus, to set up prevention and minimization strategies for diseases.

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