Abstract
Background: The incidence rate of COVID-19 infection among medical students may vary owing to diverse factors such as increased opportunities for contact, their medical background, and their behavior during the pandemic, which may reflect the incidence in their families.
Methods: a retrospective cohort study comparing medical and non-medical students (244 for each group).
Results: The incidence of COVID-19 in medical students was 20.5%, and 41% of the medical students surveyed reported one or more COVID- 19 infections in their families, compared to 23.8% and 45.9% of non-medical students, and their families, respectively. 4.7% of medical students had severe symptoms compared to non-medical (8.2%). Regarding the risk factors for infection, there were no significant differences between any of the groups except in PPE use. Medical students and their families had a shorter duration of illness.
Conclusion: COVID-19 infection in medical students is most often transmitted by a family member. Medical students and their families are not more likely than others to contract COVID-19 infection, but they may have fewer symptoms, a shorter duration of illness, and less need for hospitalization.