As of July 20, 2021, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in more than 190 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, and the global confirmed cases and deaths are still growing at an alarming rate. Epidemiological survey result suggests that COVID-19 is transmitted through droplet and close contact as well as aerosol in closed environment. As close contacts of COVID-19 patients, health care workers (HCWs) are at high risk of being infected with COVID-19. New variant of virus is appearing in multiple countries, understanding the prevalence of COVID-19 infection among HCWs, analyzing the potential risk factors for COVID-19 infection, and preventing the future infection among HCWs is the key to maintain persistence of medical treatment as well as effectively prevent and control the epidemic situation. Therefore, this paper systematically describes the current status, risk factors for infection of HCWs and related protective measures, so as to provide reference for ensuring occupational safety of HCWs.