Abstract
Background
The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is associated with a severe respiratory manifestation, COVID-19, and presents a challenge for healthcare systems worldwide. Healthcare workers are a vulnerable cohort for SARS-CoV-2 infection due to frequent and close contact to patients with COVID-19.
Study design
Serum samples from 316 healthcare workers of the University Hospital Essen, Germany were tested for SARS-CoV-2-IgG antibodies. A questionnaire was used to collect demographic and clinical data. Healthcare workers were grouped depending on the frequency of contact to COVID-19 patients in high-risk-group (n = 244) with daily contact to known or suspected SARS-CoV-2 positive patients, intermediated-risk-group (n = 37) with daily contact to patients without known or suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection at admission and low-risk-group (n = 35) without patient contact.
Results
In 5 of 316 (1.6 %) healthcare workers SARS-CoV-2-IgG antibodies could be detected. The seroprevalence was higher in the intermediate-risk-group vs. high-risk-group (2/37 (5.4 %) vs. 3/244 (1.2 %), p = 0.13). Four of the five subject were tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 via PCR. One (20 %) subject was not tested via PCR since he was asymptomatic.
Conclusion
The overall seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare workers of a tertiary hospital in Germany is low (1.6 %). The data indicate that the local hygiene standard might be effective.
【저자키워드】 Coronavirus disease 2019, polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Immunoglobulin G, COVID-19coronavirus disease 2019, ELISAEnzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, PCRpolymerase chain reaction, IgGimmunoglobulin G, SDStandard deviation, Standard deviation, SARS-CoV-2severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2, severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2, FFPfiltering face piece, filtering face piece, Sspike protein subunit 1, spike protein subunit 1, vs.versus, versus, nnumber, number, S/cosignal-to-cut-off ratio, signal-to-cut-off ratio, 【초록키워드】 COVID-19, antibodies, SARS-CoV-2, antibody, SARS-COV-2 infection, hospital, Local, healthcare worker, Cohort, PCR, Asymptomatic, Germany, Patient, university, Admission, questionnaire, Frequency, close contact, Contact, COVID-19 patient, hygiene, Healthcare system, Clinical data, subject, novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-2 positive patients, serum sample, FIVE, effective, Result, tested, was used, Essen, patients with COVID-19, 【제목키워드】 healthcare worker, Antibody detection, Germany, Contact, COVID-19 patient,