tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Hum Resour Health
. 2025 Feb 11;23(1):8.
doi: 10.1186/s12960-024-00968-z. Mapping the viral battlefield: SARS-CoV-2 infection dynamics among healthcare workers in Brazil
Antonio Luiz Dal Bello Gasparoto[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Samara Vilas-Bôas Graeff[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Wellyngton Matheus de Souza Santiago[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Danielle Gomes da Silva[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Thaynara Azevedo Dos Santos[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Leandro Martin Paulino[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Wellington Santos Fava[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Fernanda Paes Reis[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Claudia Stutz[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Adriana de Oliveira França[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ana Tereza Gomes Guerrero Moureau[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Camila Amato Montalbano[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Everton Ferreira Lemos[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Crhistinne Cavalheiro Maymone Gonçalves[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Carlos Alberto Bento Júnior[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Rodrigo Pires Dallacqua[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Julio Croda[SUP] 1 5 [/SUP], Aline Pedroso Lorenz[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Cristina Souza[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Taynara Nogueira Martins[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Kassia Roberta Nogueira da Silva[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Alda Maria Teixeira Ferreira[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Adriana Carla Garcia Negri[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Anamaria Mello Miranda Paniago[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ana Rita Coimbra Motta-Castro[SUP] 1 [/SUP], James Venturini[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ana Paula da Costa Marques[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sandra Maria do Valle Leone de Oliveira[SUP] 6 7 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Background: Understanding the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 viral infection and factors associated with in-hospital transmission rates among healthcare workers (HCW) is crucial for their protection. Brazil experienced high mortality rates due to COVID-19, and limited data are available on transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection among HCW. This cohort study aimed to assess the dynamic of SARS-CoV-2 infections in HCW from two tertiary hospitals in central Brazil, one of them a Reference Hospital for COVID-19.
Methods: From May 2020 to January 2021, 554 HCW directly involved with COVID-19 care were followed through 12 biweekly visits. During these visits, blood, nasal, and oropharyngeal samples were collected, and participants underwent interviews. SARS-CoV-2 detection was carried out using RT-qPCR, while the assessment of seroprevalence was based on IgG detection. Additionally, 35 positive samples underwent viral whole-genome sequencing.
Results: The infection prevalence, as per RT-qPCR, was 28.5% (24.9-32.4), reflecting an overall attack rate ranging from 0.5% to 9.5%, marked by two peaks in August and December 2020. Oligosymptomatic and asymptomatic infections accounted for 14% of prevalent infections. The seroprevalence rate stood at 25.8%. The hospitalization rate was 8.2%, with a fatality rate of 1.3%. Risk factors associated with a positive diagnosis of COVID-19 included being male, working at the referral hospital, having a graduate-education level, and using hydroxychloroquine and zinc for prevention or treatment. One reinfection was identified. Absenteeism was 56.6%. The infection dynamics mirrored the pattern observed in the general population.
Conclusion: One-third of the professionals in the followed cohort were infected. Being male, working in a COVID-19 referral center, having a low level of education, and using medications for preventive treatment represented risk factors. Healthcare workers at the COVID-19 referral hospital exhibited a higher incidence rate compared to those at the non-referral hospital, increasing the plausibility that some of the infections occur in the hospital environment.
Keywords: Asymptomatic infection; COVID-19; Epidemiology; Healthcare worker; SARS-CoV-2.
. 2025 Feb 11;23(1):8.
doi: 10.1186/s12960-024-00968-z. Mapping the viral battlefield: SARS-CoV-2 infection dynamics among healthcare workers in Brazil
Antonio Luiz Dal Bello Gasparoto[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Samara Vilas-Bôas Graeff[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Wellyngton Matheus de Souza Santiago[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Danielle Gomes da Silva[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Thaynara Azevedo Dos Santos[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Leandro Martin Paulino[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Wellington Santos Fava[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Fernanda Paes Reis[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Claudia Stutz[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Adriana de Oliveira França[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ana Tereza Gomes Guerrero Moureau[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Camila Amato Montalbano[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Everton Ferreira Lemos[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Crhistinne Cavalheiro Maymone Gonçalves[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Carlos Alberto Bento Júnior[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Rodrigo Pires Dallacqua[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Julio Croda[SUP] 1 5 [/SUP], Aline Pedroso Lorenz[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Cristina Souza[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Taynara Nogueira Martins[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Kassia Roberta Nogueira da Silva[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Alda Maria Teixeira Ferreira[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Adriana Carla Garcia Negri[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Anamaria Mello Miranda Paniago[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ana Rita Coimbra Motta-Castro[SUP] 1 [/SUP], James Venturini[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ana Paula da Costa Marques[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sandra Maria do Valle Leone de Oliveira[SUP] 6 7 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 39934893
- PMCID: PMC11817727
- DOI: 10.1186/s12960-024-00968-z
Background: Understanding the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 viral infection and factors associated with in-hospital transmission rates among healthcare workers (HCW) is crucial for their protection. Brazil experienced high mortality rates due to COVID-19, and limited data are available on transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection among HCW. This cohort study aimed to assess the dynamic of SARS-CoV-2 infections in HCW from two tertiary hospitals in central Brazil, one of them a Reference Hospital for COVID-19.
Methods: From May 2020 to January 2021, 554 HCW directly involved with COVID-19 care were followed through 12 biweekly visits. During these visits, blood, nasal, and oropharyngeal samples were collected, and participants underwent interviews. SARS-CoV-2 detection was carried out using RT-qPCR, while the assessment of seroprevalence was based on IgG detection. Additionally, 35 positive samples underwent viral whole-genome sequencing.
Results: The infection prevalence, as per RT-qPCR, was 28.5% (24.9-32.4), reflecting an overall attack rate ranging from 0.5% to 9.5%, marked by two peaks in August and December 2020. Oligosymptomatic and asymptomatic infections accounted for 14% of prevalent infections. The seroprevalence rate stood at 25.8%. The hospitalization rate was 8.2%, with a fatality rate of 1.3%. Risk factors associated with a positive diagnosis of COVID-19 included being male, working at the referral hospital, having a graduate-education level, and using hydroxychloroquine and zinc for prevention or treatment. One reinfection was identified. Absenteeism was 56.6%. The infection dynamics mirrored the pattern observed in the general population.
Conclusion: One-third of the professionals in the followed cohort were infected. Being male, working in a COVID-19 referral center, having a low level of education, and using medications for preventive treatment represented risk factors. Healthcare workers at the COVID-19 referral hospital exhibited a higher incidence rate compared to those at the non-referral hospital, increasing the plausibility that some of the infections occur in the hospital environment.
Keywords: Asymptomatic infection; COVID-19; Epidemiology; Healthcare worker; SARS-CoV-2.