Matthew D Sims1,2,3, Gabriel N Maine4,5, Karen Lins Childers6, Robert H Podolsky6, Daniel R Voss7, Natalie Berkiw-Scenna8, Joyce Oh9, Kevin E Heinrich10, Hans Keil9, Richard H Kennedy11,3, Ramin Homayouni3. 1. Section of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Beaumont Royal Oak, Royal Oak, MI, USA. 2. Department of Internal Medicine, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, MI, USA. 3. Department of Foundational Medical Studies, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, MI, USA. 4. Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Beaumont Royal Oak, Royal Oak, MI, USA. 5. Department of Pathology, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, MI, USA. 6. Biostatistics, Beaumont Research Institute, Royal Oak, MI, USA. 7. Research Computing, Beaumont Research Institute, Royal Oak, MI, USA. 8. Project Management Office, Beaumont Health, Southfield, MI, USA. 9. Information Technology, Beaumont Health, Southfield, MI, USA. 10. Quire Inc., Memphis, TN, USA. 11. Beaumont Research Institute, Royal Oak, MI, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Although the risk of exposure to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is higher for frontline healthcare workers, not all personnel have similar risks. Determining infection rate is difficult due to the limits on testing and the high rate of asymptomatic individuals. Detection of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 may be useful for determining prior exposure to the virus and assessing mitigation strategies, such as isolation, masks, and other protective equipment. METHODS: An online assessment that included demographic, clinical, and exposure information and a blood sample was collected from 20 614 participants out of ~43 000 total employees at Beaumont Health, which includes 8 hospitals distributed across the Detroit metropolitan area in southeast Michigan. The presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG was determined using the EUROIMMUN assay. RESULTS: A total of 1818 (8.8%) participants were seropositive between April 13 and May 28, 2020. Among the seropositive individuals, 44% reported that they were asymptomatic during the month prior to blood collection. Healthcare roles such as phlebotomy, respiratory therapy, and nursing/nursing support exhibited significantly higher seropositivity. Among participants reporting direct exposure to a Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) positive individual, those wearing an N95/PAPR mask had a significantly lower seropositivity rate (10.2%) compared to surgical/other masks (13.1%) or no mask (17.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Direct contact with COVID-19 patients increased the likelihood of seropositivity among employees but study participants who wore a mask during COVID-19 exposures were less likely to be seropositive. Additionally, a large proportion of seropositive employees self-reported as asymptomatic. (Funded by Beaumont Health and by major donors through the Beaumont Health Foundation). CLINICALTRIALS.GOV NUMBER: NCT04349202.
BACKGROUND: Although the risk of exposure to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is higher for frontline healthcare workers, not all personnel have similar risks. Determining infection rate is difficult due to the limits on testing and the high rate of asymptomatic individuals. Detection of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 may be useful for determining prior exposure to the virus and assessing mitigation strategies, such as isolation, masks, and other protective equipment. METHODS: An online assessment that included demographic, clinical, and exposure information and a blood sample was collected from 20 614 participants out of ~43 000 total employees at Beaumont Health, which includes 8 hospitals distributed across the Detroit metropolitan area in southeast Michigan. The presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG was determined using the EUROIMMUN assay. RESULTS: A total of 1818 (8.8%) participants were seropositive between April 13 and May 28, 2020. Among the seropositive individuals, 44% reported that they were asymptomatic during the month prior to blood collection. Healthcare roles such as phlebotomy, respiratory therapy, and nursing/nursing support exhibited significantly higher seropositivity. Among participants reporting direct exposure to a Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) positive individual, those wearing an N95/PAPR mask had a significantly lower seropositivity rate (10.2%) compared to surgical/other masks (13.1%) or no mask (17.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Direct contact with COVID-19 patients increased the likelihood of seropositivity among employees but study participants who wore a mask during COVID-19 exposures were less likely to be seropositive. Additionally, a large proportion of seropositive employees self-reported as asymptomatic. (Funded by Beaumont Health and by major donors through the Beaumont Health Foundation). CLINICALTRIALS.GOV NUMBER: NCT04349202.
Authors: Roger Chou; Tracy Dana; Shelley Selph; Annette M Totten; David I Buckley; Rongwei Fu Journal: Ann Intern Med Date: 2021-02-09 Impact factor: 25.391
Authors: Jay B Lusk; Haolin Xu; Laine E Thomas; Lauren W Cohen; Adrian F Hernandez; Christopher B Forrest; Henry J Michtalik; Kisha Batey Turner; Emily C O'Brien; Nadine J Barrett Journal: EClinicalMedicine Date: 2022-03-05