tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Open Forum Infect Dis
. 2020 Dec 9;8(1)
faa582.
doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofaa582. eCollection 2021 Jan.
Seroprevalence and Correlates of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Health Care Workers in Chicago
John T Wilkins[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Elizabeth L Gray[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Amisha Wallia[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Lisa R Hirschhorn[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Teresa R Zembower[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Joyce Ho[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Naomi Kalume[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ojoma Agbo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Alex Zhu[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Laura J Rasmussen-Torvik[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sadiya S Khan[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Mercedes Carnethon[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mark Huffman[SUP] 1 2 8 [/SUP], Charlesnika T Evans[SUP] 1 4 9 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Identifying factors associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among health care workers (HCWs) may help health systems optimize SARS-CoV-2 infection control strategies.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the Northwestern HCW SARS-CoV-2 Serology Cohort Study. We used the Abbott Architect Nucleocapsid IgG assay to determine seropositivity. Logistic regression models (adjusted for demographics and self-reported community exposure to coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]) were fit to quantify the associations between occupation group, health care delivery tasks, and community exposure and seropositive status.
Results: A total of 6510 HCWs, including 1794 nurses and 904 non-patient-facing administrators, participated. The majority were women (79.6%), 74.9% were White, 9.7% were Asian, 7.3% were Hispanic, and 3.1% were non-Hispanic Black. The crude prevalence of seropositivity was 4.8% (95% CI, 4.6%-5.2%). Seropositivity varied by race/ethnicity as well as age, ranging from 4.2% to 9.6%. Out-of-hospital exposure to COVID-19 occurred in 9.3% of HCWs, 15.0% (95% CI, 12.2%-18.1%) of whom were seropositive; those with family members diagnosed with COVID-19 had a seropositivity rate of 54% (95% CI, 44.2%-65.2%). Support service workers (10.4%; 95% CI, 4.6%-19.4%), medical assistants (10.1%; 95% CI, 5.5%-16.6%), and nurses (7.6%; 95% CI, 6.4%-9.0%) had significantly higher seropositivity rates than administrators (referent; 3.3%; 95% CI, 2.3%-4.4%). However, after adjustment, nursing was the only occupation group with a significantly higher odds (odds ratio, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.3-2.9) of seropositivity. Exposure to patients receiving high-flow oxygen therapy and hemodialysis was significantly associated with 45% and 57% higher odds for seropositive status, respectively.
Conclusions: HCWs are at risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection from longer-duration exposures to people infected with SARS-CoV-2 within health care settings and their communities of residence.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; health care workers; serology.
. 2020 Dec 9;8(1)
faa582.doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofaa582. eCollection 2021 Jan.
Seroprevalence and Correlates of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Health Care Workers in Chicago
John T Wilkins[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Elizabeth L Gray[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Amisha Wallia[SUP] 3 4 [/SUP], Lisa R Hirschhorn[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Teresa R Zembower[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Joyce Ho[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Naomi Kalume[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ojoma Agbo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Alex Zhu[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Laura J Rasmussen-Torvik[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sadiya S Khan[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Mercedes Carnethon[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mark Huffman[SUP] 1 2 8 [/SUP], Charlesnika T Evans[SUP] 1 4 9 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33447642
- PMCID: PMC7787182
- DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofaa582
Abstract
Background: Identifying factors associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among health care workers (HCWs) may help health systems optimize SARS-CoV-2 infection control strategies.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the Northwestern HCW SARS-CoV-2 Serology Cohort Study. We used the Abbott Architect Nucleocapsid IgG assay to determine seropositivity. Logistic regression models (adjusted for demographics and self-reported community exposure to coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]) were fit to quantify the associations between occupation group, health care delivery tasks, and community exposure and seropositive status.
Results: A total of 6510 HCWs, including 1794 nurses and 904 non-patient-facing administrators, participated. The majority were women (79.6%), 74.9% were White, 9.7% were Asian, 7.3% were Hispanic, and 3.1% were non-Hispanic Black. The crude prevalence of seropositivity was 4.8% (95% CI, 4.6%-5.2%). Seropositivity varied by race/ethnicity as well as age, ranging from 4.2% to 9.6%. Out-of-hospital exposure to COVID-19 occurred in 9.3% of HCWs, 15.0% (95% CI, 12.2%-18.1%) of whom were seropositive; those with family members diagnosed with COVID-19 had a seropositivity rate of 54% (95% CI, 44.2%-65.2%). Support service workers (10.4%; 95% CI, 4.6%-19.4%), medical assistants (10.1%; 95% CI, 5.5%-16.6%), and nurses (7.6%; 95% CI, 6.4%-9.0%) had significantly higher seropositivity rates than administrators (referent; 3.3%; 95% CI, 2.3%-4.4%). However, after adjustment, nursing was the only occupation group with a significantly higher odds (odds ratio, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.3-2.9) of seropositivity. Exposure to patients receiving high-flow oxygen therapy and hemodialysis was significantly associated with 45% and 57% higher odds for seropositive status, respectively.
Conclusions: HCWs are at risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection from longer-duration exposures to people infected with SARS-CoV-2 within health care settings and their communities of residence.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; health care workers; serology.