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. 2021 Apr 27:149:e157.
doi: 10.1017/S0950268821000984.

Prevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in Irish hospital healthcare workers

Niamh Allen  1 , Una Ni Riain  2 , Niall Conlon  1 , Annamaria Ferenczi  3 , Antonio Isidro Carrion Martin  4 , Lisa Domegan  3 , Cathal Walsh  3   5   6 , Lorraine Doherty  3 , Cliona O'Farrelly  7 , Eibhlin Higgins  8 , Colm Kerr  1 , Jonathan McGrath  1 ; PRECISE Study Steering Group; Catherine Fleming  8 , Colm Bergin  1
Collaborators, Affiliations

Prevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in Irish hospital healthcare workers

Niamh Allen et al. Epidemiol Infect. .

Abstract

Hospital healthcare workers (HCWs) are at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 infection. We aimed to determine the seroprevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies in HCWs in Ireland. Two tertiary referral hospitals in Irish cities with diverging community incidence and seroprevalence were identified; COVID-19 had been diagnosed in 10.2% and 1.8% of staff respectively by the time of the study (October 2020). All staff of both hospitals (N = 9038) were invited to participate in an online questionnaire and blood sampling for SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing. Frequencies and percentages for positive SARS-CoV-2 antibody were calculated and adjusted relative risks (aRR) for participant characteristics were calculated using multivariable regression analysis. In total, 5788 HCWs participated (64% response rate). Seroprevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 was 15% and 4.1% in hospitals 1 and 2, respectively. Thirty-nine percent of infections were previously undiagnosed. Risk for seropositivity was higher for healthcare assistants (aRR 2.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4-3.0), nurses (aRR: 1.6, 95% CI 1.1-2.2), daily exposure to patients with COVID-19 (aRR: 1.6, 95% CI 1.2-2.1), age 18-29 years (aRR: 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.9), living with other HCWs (aRR: 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.5), Asian background (aRR: 1.3, 95% CI 1.0-1.6) and male sex (aRR: 1.2, 95% CI 1.0-1.4). The HCW seroprevalence was six times higher than community seroprevalence. Risk was higher for those with close patient contact. The proportion of undiagnosed infections call for robust infection control guidance, easy access to testing and consideration of screening in asymptomatic HCWs. With emerging evidence of reduction in transmission from vaccinated individuals, the authors strongly endorse rapid vaccination of all HCWs.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; SARS-CoV-2 antibodies; healthcare workers; seroprevalence.

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Conflict of interest statement

None of the authors have any conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Proportion of staff group with detectable antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, both hospitals, October 2020.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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