Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Dec 4;78(7):479-485.
doi: 10.1136/oemed-2020-106866. Online ahead of print.

Household transmission and incidence of positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR in symptomatic healthcare workers, clinical course and outcome: a French hospital experience

Evguenia Krastinova  1   2   3 , Valérie Garrait  4   2 , Marie-Thérèse Lecam  5 , André Coste  6   7 , Emmanuelle Varon  8 , Isabelle Delacroix  4 , Amine Si Ali  9 , Camille Jung  10 , Mounira Smati  8 , Muriel Cherbit  11 , Bernard Maître  7   12 , Jean-Claude Pairon  5   7 , Pascal Andujar  5   7
Affiliations

Household transmission and incidence of positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR in symptomatic healthcare workers, clinical course and outcome: a French hospital experience

Evguenia Krastinova et al. Occup Environ Med. .

Abstract

Objectives: Although healthcare workers (HCWs) have been particularly affected by SARS-CoV-2, detailed data remain scarce. In this study, we investigated infection rates, clinical characteristics, occupational exposure and household transmission among all symptomatic HCWs screened by SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR between 17 March (French lockdown) and 20 April.

Methods: SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR was proposed to symptomatic (new cough or dyspnoea) HCWs at Creteil Hospital in one of the Parisian suburbs most severely affected by COVID-19. Data on occupational profile, living situation and household, together with self-isolation and mask use at home were collected, as well as the number of cases in the household.

Results: The incidence rate of symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 was estimated to be 5% (110/2188). A total of 110 (35%) of the 314 HCWs tested positive and 9 (8%) were hospitalised. On multivariate analysis, factors independently associated with positive RT-PCR were occupational profile with direct patient facing (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.1 to 8.8), p<0.03), and presence of anosmia (OR 5.7, 95% CI 3.1 to 10.6), p<0.0001). Being a current smoker was associated with negative RT-PCR (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.1 to 0.7), p=0.005). Transmission from HCWs to household members was reported in 9 (14%) cases, and 2 deaths occurred. Overall, self-isolation was possible in 52% of cases, but only 31% of HCWs were able to wear a mask at home.

Conclusion: This is the first study to report infection rates among HCWs during the peak of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in France and the lockdown period, highlighting the risk related to occupational profile and household transmission.

Keywords: health care workers; hygiene / occupational hygiene; virology; viruses.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Number of positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR tests per day in the general population in France (divided by 100) and among screened healthcare workers at Creteil Hospital between 17 March and 20 April.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of anosmia, fever and a composite predictor (anosmia and/or fever) at illness onset.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Mbbs LR, LBSM D, Neurosurgery MS. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spreads situation reports, 2020. Available: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situatio...
    1. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control . COVID-19 pandemic, 2020. Available: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/covid-19-pandemic
    1. Infection au nouveau Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), COVID-19, France et Monde, 2020. Available: https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/maladies-et-traumatismes/maladies-et-...
    1. Santé Publique France . Recensement national des cas de COVID-19 chez les professionnels en établissements de santé, 2020. Available: https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/etudes-et-enquetes/recensement-nation...
    1. Wang J, Zhou M, Liu F. Reasons for healthcare workers becoming infected with novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China. J Hosp Infect 2020;105:100–1. 10.1016/j.jhin.2020.03.002 - DOI - PMC - PubMed