High SARS CoV2 antibody-prevalence among health care workers with variable exposure to COVID-19 patients: A cross-sectional university hospital study. | ||
| Microbes and Infectious Diseases | ||
| Article 10, Volume 3, Issue 4, November 2022, Pages 842-851 PDF (342.02 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/mid.2022.148952.1341 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Bassam Mansour* 1; adel ahmed hassan2; Fadia M. Attia3; Safaa Abdallah Mohamed3; Mohamed Mohamed Abdo4; Eman Fahmy4; Samar F. Mohamed5; AG Abdel Rahman6; Bassma A. Ibrahem6; Wagdy Abdelfatah7; Moustafa Ragheb1 | ||
| 1Infectious and endemic diseases, department, faculty of medicine, Suez canal university, Ismailia, Egypt | ||
| 2Infectious and endemic diseases, department, faculty of medicine, Suez canal university ,Ismailia, Egypt | ||
| 3Clinical pathology department, faculty of medicine, Suez canal university, Ismailia, Egypt | ||
| 4Internal medicine department, faculty of medicine, Suez canal university, Ismailia, Egypt | ||
| 5Family Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt | ||
| 6Department of Public health, Community Medicine, Environmental Medicine and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt | ||
| 7Department of chest diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt. | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the pattern of medical services changed to minimize transmission to health care workers (HCWs) or hospitalized patients. Despite the care of COVID-19 patients in a special ward, new cases are accidentally discovered. This study aimed at determining the antibody seroprevalence among asymptomatic HCWs and the associated risks. Methods: The study involved 190 participants, including physicians, nurses, technicians, and administrative staff. All were inquired for sociodemographic, specialty, previous isolation, and previous infection, and their blood was tested for SARS-CoV2 antibody. Results: Of 190 HCWs; 72,1% were females, the mean age was 32.6±7.9 years, 10.5% were smokers, and 15.8% reported co-morbid illness. SARS CoV2 antibodies were found in 68 (35.8%); being IgG, IgM and both IgM and IgG in 47 (69.1%), 10 (14.7%) and 11 (16.2%) participants respectively. The prevalence was higher (47.6%) among HCWs of the COVID unit, [OR=1.7 (95% CI: 0.69-4.3)] and HCWs with previous COVID-19, OR:1.61 (95% CI:0.88-2.94). The prevalence was significantly lower among smokers (p=0.049), OR:0.29 (95% CI:0.08-1.01), and significantly higher in HCWs who recalled cough (p=0.036) OR: 1.97 (95% CI: 1.05-3.69). The likelihood of antibody seropositivity increased in technicians [OR:2.02 (95% CI: 0.92-4.44)], followed by physicians [OR:1.7 (95% CI: 0.7-4.33)] while the odds ratio was low among nurses [OR:0.58 (95% CI: 0.32-1.07). Conclusion: A considerable proportion of antibody positive HCWs had evidence of past SARS CoV2. Provision of adequate personal protective equipment and periodic screening of HCWs are urgently needed to lessen the transmission within the health care settings. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| COVID-19; HCWs; Egypt; asymptomatic | ||
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