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. 2022 Oct:74:31-40.
doi: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2022.05.006. Epub 2022 Jun 2.

SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in New York metropolitan area: the view from a major urgent care provider

Madhura S Rane  1 , Angela Profeta  2 , Emily Poehlein  3 , Sarah Kulkarni  3 , McKaylee Robertson  3 , Chris Gainus  2 , Ashish Parikh  2 , Kerry LeBenger  2 , Daniel Frogel  2 , Denis Nash  4
Affiliations

SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in New York metropolitan area: the view from a major urgent care provider

Madhura S Rane et al. Ann Epidemiol. 2022 Oct.

Abstract

Purpose: Tracking severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) testing and positivity trends is crucial for understanding the trajectory of the pandemic. We describe demographic and clinical characteristics, testing, and positivity rates for SARS-CoV-2 among 2.8 million patients evaluated at an urgent care provider.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of patients receiving a diagnostic or serologic test for SARS-CoV-2 between March 1, 2020 and July 20, 2021 at 115 CityMD locations in the New York metropolitan area. Temporal trends in SARS-CoV-2 positivity by diagnostic and serologic tests stratified by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and borough of residence were assessed.

Results: During the study period, 6.1 million COVID diagnostic and serological tests were performed on 2.8 million individuals. Testing levels were higher among 20-29-year-old, non-Hispanic White, and female patients compared with other groups. About 35% were repeat testers. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction positivity was higher in non-Hispanic Black (7.9%), Hispanic (8.2%), and Native American (8.2%) compared to non-Hispanic White (5.7%) patients. Overall seropositivity was estimated to be 22.1% (95% confidence interval: 22.0-22.2) and was highest among 10-14 year olds (27.9%), and non-Hispanic Black (26.0%) and Hispanic (31.0%) testers.

Conclusion: Urgent care centers can provide broad access to diagnostic testing and critical evaluation for ambulatory patients during pandemics, especially in population-dense, urban epicenters. Urgent care center electronic medical records data can provide in-depth surveillance during pandemics complementary to citywide health department data sources.

Keywords: COVID-19 health inequities; Covid-19 trends; Electronic medical records; Urgent Care Center.

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Figures

Fig 1
Fig. 1
Cumulative number of positive tests of COVID in among New York Metropolitan area residents testing at CityMD March 2020–July 2021.
Fig 2
Fig. 2
A) Daily COVID-19 tests performed; B) Number of COVID-19 tests that were positive; C) proportion of individuals who received their first positive PCR or antigen test over time (individual-level daily positivity rate). COVID molecular and rapid antigen testing and positivity trends at CityMD in the New York metropolitan area March 2020–July 2021.
Fig 3
Fig. 3
A) <15 year olds, B) 15–35 year olds, C) 36–60 year olds, D) >>60 year olds. COVID molecular and rapid antigen percent positivity by age groups—March 2020–July 2021.
Fig A1
Fig A1
Percent positivity of diagnostic tests by self-reported race and ethnicity.
Fig A2
Fig A2
Seropositivity by self-reported race and ethnicity.
Fig A3
Fig A3
COVID antibody testing at CityMD in the New York metropolitan area March 2020–July 2021.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Update of

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