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Health care personnel (HCP) caring for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) might be at high risk for contracting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Understanding the prevalence of and factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection among frontline HCP who care for COVID-19 patients are important for protecting both HCP and their patients. During April 3-June 19, 2020, serum specimens were collected from a convenience sample of frontline HCP who worked with COVID-19 patients at 13 geographically diverse academic medical centers in the United States, and specimens were tested for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. Participants were asked about potential symptoms of COVID-19 experienced since February 1, 2020, previous testing for acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, and their use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the past week. Among 3,248 participants, 194 (6.0%) had positive test results for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Seroprevalence by hospital ranged from 0.8% to 31.2% (median = 3.6%). Among the 194 seropositive participants, 56 (29%) reported no symptoms since February 1, 2020, 86 (44%) did not believe that they previously had COVID-19, and 133 (69%) did not report a previous COVID-19 diagnosis. Seroprevalence was lower among personnel who reported always wearing a face covering (defined in this study as a surgical mask, N95 respirator, or powered air purifying respirator [PAPR]) while caring for patients (5.6%), compared with that among those who did not (9.0%) (p = 0.012). Consistent with persons in the general population with SARS-CoV-2 infection, many frontline HCP with SARS-CoV-2 infection might be asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic during infection, and infection might be unrecognized. Enhanced screening, including frequent testing of frontline HCP, and universal use of face coverings in hospitals are two strategies that could reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

Stigma remains a leading barrier to HIV care. To determine the influence of disclosure stigma (DS), fear of disclosing one's serostatus, on virologic suppression, a cross-sectional study was performed at the largest publicly-funded HIV clinic in South Texas. A survey was administered to participants who were: ≥18 years old, living with HIV, and receiving antiretroviral therapy. Surveys included demographics, adherence questionnaire, and a validated HIV-stigma scale with DS as the sum of 10 items ranked 0–3, with score of 30 indicating highest stigma. The primary outcome was lack of virologic suppression (LOVS): most recent HIV-1 RNA > 20 copies/ml. A bivariate analyses examined predictors of DS, dichotomized at the median. Depression score, perceived stress, and lack of friend/family support were associated with DS. Logistic regression models examined the relationship between DS, as a continuous variable, and LOVS. For 275 participants (69% Hispanic), median DS score was 18.5. DS was significantly inversely associated with LOVS (aOR 0.94 per 1 scale point; CI 0.89, 0.99) after adjustment for age, gender/sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, and drug use. The unanticipated inverse association between DS and LOVS highlights the complexity of this relationship. However, the balance of data in this cohort demonstrate an overall negative impact of DS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]