tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Lancet Infect Dis
. 2020 Aug 3;S1473-3099(20)30589-2.
doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30589-2. Online ahead of print.
Risk of COVID-19 in health-care workers in Denmark: an observational cohort study
Kasper Iversen[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Henning Bundgaard[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Rasmus B Hasselbalch[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Jonas H Kristensen[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Pernille B Nielsen[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Mia Pries-Heje[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Andreas D Knudsen[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Casper E Christensen[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Kamille Fogh[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Jakob B Norsk[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Ove Andersen[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Thea K Fischer[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Claus Antonio Juul Jensen[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Margit Larsen[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Christian Torp-Pedersen[SUP] 7 [/SUP], J?rgen Rungby[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Sisse B Ditlev[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Ida Hageman[SUP] 12 [/SUP], Rasmus M?gelvang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Christoffer E Hother[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Mikkel Gybel-Brask[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Erik S?rensen[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Lene Harritsh?j[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Fredrik Folke[SUP] 13 [/SUP], Curt Sten[SUP] 14 [/SUP], Thomas Benfield[SUP] 15 [/SUP], Susanne Dam Nielsen[SUP] 16 [/SUP], Henrik Ullum[SUP] 9 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Health-care workers are thought to be highly exposed to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in health-care workers and the proportion of seroconverted health-care workers with previous symptoms of COVID-19.
Methods: In this observational cohort study, screening was offered to health-care workers in the Capital Region of Denmark, including medical, nursing, and other students who were associated with hospitals in the region. Screening included point-of-care tests for IgM and IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Test results and participant characteristics were recorded. Results were compared with findings in blood donors in the Capital Region in the study period.
Findings: Between April 15 and April 23, 2020, we screened 29 295 health-care workers, of whom 28 792 (98?28%) provided their test results. We identified 1163 (4?04% [95% CI 3?82-4?27]) seropositive health-care workers. Seroprevalence was higher in health-care workers than in blood donors (142 [3?04%] of 4672; risk ratio [RR] 1?33 [95% CI 1?12-1?58]; p<0?001). Seroprevalence was higher in male health-care workers (331 [5?45%] of 6077) than in female health-care workers (832 [3?66%] of 22 715; RR 1?49 [1?31-1?68]; p<0?001). Frontline health-care workers working in hospitals had a significantly higher seroprevalence (779 [4?55%] of 16 356) than health-care workers in other settings (384 [3?29%] of 11 657; RR 1?38 [1?22-1?56]; p<0?001). Health-care workers working on dedicated COVID-19 wards (95 [7?19%] of 1321) had a significantly higher seroprevalence than other frontline health-care workers working in hospitals (696 [4?35%] of 15 983; RR 1?65 [1?34-2?03]; p<0?001). 622 [53?5%] of 1163 seropositive participants reported symptoms attributable to SARS-CoV-2. Loss of taste or smell was the symptom that was most strongly associated with seropositivity (377 [32?39%] of 1164 participants with this symptom were seropositive vs 786 [2?84%] of 27 628 without this symptom; RR 11?38 [10?22-12?68]). The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04356560.
Interpretation: The prevalence of health-care workers with antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 was low but higher than in blood donors. The risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in health-care workers was related to exposure to infected patients. More than half of seropositive health-care workers reported symptoms attributable to COVID-19.
Funding: Lundbeck Foundation.
. 2020 Aug 3;S1473-3099(20)30589-2.
doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30589-2. Online ahead of print.
Risk of COVID-19 in health-care workers in Denmark: an observational cohort study
Kasper Iversen[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Henning Bundgaard[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Rasmus B Hasselbalch[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Jonas H Kristensen[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Pernille B Nielsen[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Mia Pries-Heje[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Andreas D Knudsen[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Casper E Christensen[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Kamille Fogh[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Jakob B Norsk[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Ove Andersen[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Thea K Fischer[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Claus Antonio Juul Jensen[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Margit Larsen[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Christian Torp-Pedersen[SUP] 7 [/SUP], J?rgen Rungby[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Sisse B Ditlev[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Ida Hageman[SUP] 12 [/SUP], Rasmus M?gelvang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Christoffer E Hother[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Mikkel Gybel-Brask[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Erik S?rensen[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Lene Harritsh?j[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Fredrik Folke[SUP] 13 [/SUP], Curt Sten[SUP] 14 [/SUP], Thomas Benfield[SUP] 15 [/SUP], Susanne Dam Nielsen[SUP] 16 [/SUP], Henrik Ullum[SUP] 9 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 32758438
- DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30589-2
Abstract
Background: Health-care workers are thought to be highly exposed to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in health-care workers and the proportion of seroconverted health-care workers with previous symptoms of COVID-19.
Methods: In this observational cohort study, screening was offered to health-care workers in the Capital Region of Denmark, including medical, nursing, and other students who were associated with hospitals in the region. Screening included point-of-care tests for IgM and IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Test results and participant characteristics were recorded. Results were compared with findings in blood donors in the Capital Region in the study period.
Findings: Between April 15 and April 23, 2020, we screened 29 295 health-care workers, of whom 28 792 (98?28%) provided their test results. We identified 1163 (4?04% [95% CI 3?82-4?27]) seropositive health-care workers. Seroprevalence was higher in health-care workers than in blood donors (142 [3?04%] of 4672; risk ratio [RR] 1?33 [95% CI 1?12-1?58]; p<0?001). Seroprevalence was higher in male health-care workers (331 [5?45%] of 6077) than in female health-care workers (832 [3?66%] of 22 715; RR 1?49 [1?31-1?68]; p<0?001). Frontline health-care workers working in hospitals had a significantly higher seroprevalence (779 [4?55%] of 16 356) than health-care workers in other settings (384 [3?29%] of 11 657; RR 1?38 [1?22-1?56]; p<0?001). Health-care workers working on dedicated COVID-19 wards (95 [7?19%] of 1321) had a significantly higher seroprevalence than other frontline health-care workers working in hospitals (696 [4?35%] of 15 983; RR 1?65 [1?34-2?03]; p<0?001). 622 [53?5%] of 1163 seropositive participants reported symptoms attributable to SARS-CoV-2. Loss of taste or smell was the symptom that was most strongly associated with seropositivity (377 [32?39%] of 1164 participants with this symptom were seropositive vs 786 [2?84%] of 27 628 without this symptom; RR 11?38 [10?22-12?68]). The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04356560.
Interpretation: The prevalence of health-care workers with antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 was low but higher than in blood donors. The risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in health-care workers was related to exposure to infected patients. More than half of seropositive health-care workers reported symptoms attributable to COVID-19.
Funding: Lundbeck Foundation.