1. SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and asymptomatic viral carriage in healthcare workers: a cross-sectional study
- Author
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Celina Whalley, Charlotte Poxon, Gabriella L. Morley, Kasun Wanigasooriya, Lyndsey A Dunbar, Mark T. Drayson, Dee E McLoughlin, Saly Al-Taei, Mark I. Garvey, Beena Emmanuel, Golaleh McGinnell, Sian E Jossi, Megan Richter, Andrew D Beggs, Marisol Perez-Toledo, Joel D. Allen, Adam F. Cunningham, Eloise M Walker, Agnieszka E. Zielinska, Joanna Gray, Max Crispin, Joanna O'Neill, Erin L. Aldera, Adrian M Shields, David C. Wraith, Andrew Bosworth, Oliver J Pickles, Sian E Faustini, Claire Backhouse, Alex G. Richter, Daniel Ebanks, I. Michael Kidd, Danai Papakonstantinou, and Yasunori Watanabe
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Cross-sectional study ,Health Personnel ,Prevalence ,Context (language use) ,Antibodies, Viral ,Asymptomatic ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,respiratory infection ,Seroepidemiologic Studies ,Internal medicine ,Humans ,Medicine ,Seroprevalence ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Seroconversion ,Pandemics ,Asymptomatic Diseases ,0303 health sciences ,SARS-CoV-2 ,030306 microbiology ,business.industry ,COVID-19 ,Respiratory infection ,clinical epidemiology ,Middle Aged ,infection control ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,RNA, Viral ,Female ,viral infection ,medicine.symptom ,business - Abstract
ObjectiveTo determine the rates of asymptomatic viral carriage and seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in healthcare workers.DesignA cross-sectional study of asymptomatic healthcare workers undertaken on 24/25 April 2020.SettingUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHBFT), UK.Participants545 asymptomatic healthcare workers were recruited while at work. Participants were invited to participate via the UHBFT social media. Exclusion criteria included current symptoms consistent with COVID-19. No potential participants were excluded.InterventionParticipants volunteered a nasopharyngeal swab and a venous blood sample that were tested for SARS-CoV-2 RNA and anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein antibodies, respectively. Results were interpreted in the context of prior illnesses and the hospital departments in which participants worked.Main outcome measureProportion of participants demonstrating infection and positive SARS-CoV-2 serology.ResultsThe point prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 viral carriage was 2.4% (n=13/545). The overall seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was 24.4% (n=126/516). Participants who reported prior symptomatic illness had higher seroprevalence (37.5% vs 17.1%, χ2=21.1034, pConclusions and relevanceWe identify differences in the occupational risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 between hospital departments and confirm asymptomatic seroconversion occurs in healthcare workers. Further investigation of these observations is required to inform future infection control and occupational health practices.
- Published
- 2020
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