tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Int J Environ Res Public Health
. 2022 Feb 19;19(4):2402.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph19042402.
Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Employees of Three Hospitals of a Secondary Care Hospital Network in Germany and an Associated Fire Brigade: Results of a Repeated Cross-Sectional Surveillance Study Over 1 Year
Anke Hildebrandt[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Oktay Hökelekli[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Lutz Uflacker[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Henrik Rudolf[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Michael Paulussen[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Sören G Gatermann[SUP] 5 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Healthcare workers (HCWs) are playing a vital role in the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. This study investigated how infection spreads within three local hospitals and an associated fire brigade in Germany by testing employees for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies over one year. The three observational periods corresponded to the initial three pandemic waves: first wave: June-September 2020, second wave: October 2020-January 2021, and third wave: February-June 2021. We analysed 3285 serum samples of 1842 employees, which represents 65.7% of all employees. Altogether, 13.2% employees were seropositive: 194/1411 HCWs (13.7%) and 49/431 non-HCWs (11.4%) with a clear increase of seroprevalence from the first (1.1%) to the second (13.2%) and third (29.3%) pandemic wave. HCWs presumably had an additional occupational risk for infection in the second and third wave due to an increase of infection pressure with more COVID-19 patients treated, showing possible weak points in the recommended infection prevention strategy.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; antibodies; coronavirus; healthcare workers.
. 2022 Feb 19;19(4):2402.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph19042402.
Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Employees of Three Hospitals of a Secondary Care Hospital Network in Germany and an Associated Fire Brigade: Results of a Repeated Cross-Sectional Surveillance Study Over 1 Year
Anke Hildebrandt[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Oktay Hökelekli[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Lutz Uflacker[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Henrik Rudolf[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Michael Paulussen[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Sören G Gatermann[SUP] 5 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 35206589
- DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19042402
Abstract
Healthcare workers (HCWs) are playing a vital role in the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. This study investigated how infection spreads within three local hospitals and an associated fire brigade in Germany by testing employees for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies over one year. The three observational periods corresponded to the initial three pandemic waves: first wave: June-September 2020, second wave: October 2020-January 2021, and third wave: February-June 2021. We analysed 3285 serum samples of 1842 employees, which represents 65.7% of all employees. Altogether, 13.2% employees were seropositive: 194/1411 HCWs (13.7%) and 49/431 non-HCWs (11.4%) with a clear increase of seroprevalence from the first (1.1%) to the second (13.2%) and third (29.3%) pandemic wave. HCWs presumably had an additional occupational risk for infection in the second and third wave due to an increase of infection pressure with more COVID-19 patients treated, showing possible weak points in the recommended infection prevention strategy.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; antibodies; coronavirus; healthcare workers.