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. 2022 Mar 20;10(3):576.
doi: 10.3390/healthcare10030576.

Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 Seropositivity among Emergency Department Healthcare Workers at a Tertiary Care Center in Baltimore

Anna Russell  1 , Edbert B Hsu  1 , Katherine Z J Fenstermacher  1 , Erin P Ricketts  1 , Gabriella Dashler  1 , Allison Chen  1 , Kathryn Shaw-Saliba  1 , Patrizio P Caturegli  2 , Andrew Pekosz  1   3 , Richard E Rothman  1
Affiliations

Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 Seropositivity among Emergency Department Healthcare Workers at a Tertiary Care Center in Baltimore

Anna Russell et al. Healthcare (Basel). .

Abstract

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic (March−July 2020 in Baltimore), emergency department (ED) healthcare workers (HCWs) were considered to be at greater risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2. Limited data existed, however, on the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and its impact in this workforce population. We enrolled 191 ED HCWs from a tertiary academic center, administered baseline and weekly surveys, and tested them twice (July and December 2020) for serum antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Approximately 6% (11 of 191, 5.8%) of ED HCWs had spike antibodies in July, a prevalence that doubled by December (21 of 174, 12.1%). A positive PCR test was self-reported by 15 of 21 (71%) seropositive and 6 of 153 (4%) seronegative HCWs (p < 0.001). Of the total 27 HCWs who had antibodies and/or were PCR positive, none required hospitalization, 18 (67%) had a self-perceived COVID-19 illness, and 12 of the 18 reported symptoms. The median number of missed workdays was 8.5 (ranging from 2 to 21). While most seropositive ED HCWs who reported symptoms took work absences, none required hospitalization, indicating that COVID-19’s impact on staffing prior to vaccination was not as great as feared.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; emergency department; healthcare workers; seroprevalence.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Seropositivity and PCR Positivity.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Seropositivity and PCR Positivity Concordance.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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