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. 2021 Sep 22;43(3):450-454.
doi: 10.1093/pubmed/fdaa231.

COVID-19 infection among first responders in Broward County, Florida, March-April 2020

Jianli Niu  1 , Jose A Rodriguez  2 , Candice Sareli  1 , Jennifer Goldman  2 , Monica Puga  3 , Paula A Eckardt  2
Affiliations

COVID-19 infection among first responders in Broward County, Florida, March-April 2020

Jianli Niu et al. J Public Health (Oxf). .

Abstract

Background: First responders (FRs) may have a significant risk of coronavirus 19 (COVID-19) infection than the general population due to job-related exposures. We aimed to determine the prevalence and exposure patterns of COVID-19 among FRs.

Methods: Between March and April 2020, FRs in Broward County, Florida, were screened for COVID-19 infection by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay using nasopharyngeal swabs. Demographics and COVID-19 positive rate of the FRs were summarized.

Results: A total of 3375 FRs were screened for COVID-19 infection. The median age of FRs tested was 42 years (IQR 33-52 years), and 1464 (43.4%) were men. A total of 2902 (85.9%) were asymptomatic, and 473 (14.1%) reported symptoms associated with COVID-19. Overall, 289 (8.6%) were positive, with the highest rates among the age between 25 and 49 years. Of those testing positive, 235 (81.3%) were asymptomatic. Fourteen days after their first positive test, 81 (69.8%) of the 116 asymptomatically infected FRs were negative, and 35 (30.2%) remained positive and asymptomatic.

Conclusions: The FRs in Broward County, FL, had an overall infection rate of 8.6% at the time of COVID-19 testing, and asymptomatic FRs accounted for 81.3% of infection. Active surveillance should be focused on the asymptomatic FRs with COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; first responders; pandemic; screening.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Daily number of screened FRs and confirmed SARS-CoV-2-positive cases in Broward County, Florida, from 23 March to 29 April 2020. As of 29 April 2020, the total number of the screened FRs and confirmed positive cases were 3375 and 289, respectively. The daily number of the screened FRs and the positive cases peaked on the first week of April 2020.
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