tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
MC Infect Dis
. 2020 Nov 16;20(1):853.
doi: 10.1186/s12879-020-05587-2.
Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in previously undiagnosed health care workers in New Jersey, at the onset of the U.S. COVID-19 pandemic
Emily S Barrett[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Daniel B Horton[SUP] 1 3 4 [/SUP], Jason Roy[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Maria Laura Gennaro[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Andrew Brooks[SUP] 2 6 [/SUP], Jay Tischfield[SUP] 3 6 [/SUP], Patricia Greenberg[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Tracy Andrews[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sugeet Jagpal[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Nancy Reilly[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Jeffrey L Carson[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Martin J Blaser[SUP] 7 10 [/SUP], Reynold A Panettieri Jr[SUP] 7 8 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Healthcare workers (HCW) are presumed to be at increased risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection due to occupational exposure to infected patients. However, there has been little epidemiological research to assess these risks.
Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of HCW (n = 546) and non-healthcare workers (NHCW; n = 283) with no known prior SARS-CoV-2 infection who were recruited from a large U.S. university and two affiliated university hospitals. In this cross-sectional analysis of data collected at baseline, we examined SARS-CoV-2 infection status (as determined by presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in oropharyngeal swabs) by healthcare worker status and role.
Results: At baseline, 41 (5.0%) of the participants tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection, of whom 14 (34.2%) reported symptoms. The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was higher among HCW (7.3%) than in NHCW (0.4%), representing a 7.0% greater absolute risk (95% confidence interval for risk difference 4.7, 9.3%). The majority of infected HCW (62.5%) were nurses. Positive tests increased across the two weeks of cohort recruitment in line with rising confirmed cases in the hospitals and surrounding counties.
Conclusions: Overall, our results demonstrate that HCW had a higher prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection than NHCW. Continued follow-up of this cohort will enable us to monitor infection rates and examine risk factors for transmission.
Keywords: COVID-19; Healthcare workers; SARS-CoV-2.
. 2020 Nov 16;20(1):853.
doi: 10.1186/s12879-020-05587-2.
Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in previously undiagnosed health care workers in New Jersey, at the onset of the U.S. COVID-19 pandemic
Emily S Barrett[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Daniel B Horton[SUP] 1 3 4 [/SUP], Jason Roy[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Maria Laura Gennaro[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Andrew Brooks[SUP] 2 6 [/SUP], Jay Tischfield[SUP] 3 6 [/SUP], Patricia Greenberg[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Tracy Andrews[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sugeet Jagpal[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Nancy Reilly[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Jeffrey L Carson[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Martin J Blaser[SUP] 7 10 [/SUP], Reynold A Panettieri Jr[SUP] 7 8 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33198725
- DOI: 10.1186/s12879-020-05587-2
Abstract
Background: Healthcare workers (HCW) are presumed to be at increased risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection due to occupational exposure to infected patients. However, there has been little epidemiological research to assess these risks.
Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of HCW (n = 546) and non-healthcare workers (NHCW; n = 283) with no known prior SARS-CoV-2 infection who were recruited from a large U.S. university and two affiliated university hospitals. In this cross-sectional analysis of data collected at baseline, we examined SARS-CoV-2 infection status (as determined by presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in oropharyngeal swabs) by healthcare worker status and role.
Results: At baseline, 41 (5.0%) of the participants tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection, of whom 14 (34.2%) reported symptoms. The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was higher among HCW (7.3%) than in NHCW (0.4%), representing a 7.0% greater absolute risk (95% confidence interval for risk difference 4.7, 9.3%). The majority of infected HCW (62.5%) were nurses. Positive tests increased across the two weeks of cohort recruitment in line with rising confirmed cases in the hospitals and surrounding counties.
Conclusions: Overall, our results demonstrate that HCW had a higher prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection than NHCW. Continued follow-up of this cohort will enable us to monitor infection rates and examine risk factors for transmission.
Keywords: COVID-19; Healthcare workers; SARS-CoV-2.