Low rate of COVID-19 seroconversion in health-care workers at a Department of Infectious Diseases in Sweden during the later phase of the first wave; a prospective longitudinal seroepidemiological study.
Infect Dis (Lond)
; 53(3): 169-175, 2021 03.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1066204
ABSTRACT
Background:
Health-care workers are at risk of contracting and transmitting SARS-CoV-2. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies and the rate of seroconversion in an environment with high exposure to SARS-CoV-2.Methods:
131 health-care workers at the Department of Infectious Diseases in Västerås, Sweden, were included in the study. Abbott's SARS-COV-2 IgG immunoassay was used with a signal cut-off ratio of ≥1.4. Every third week from the beginning of May, blood samples were drawn, and the participants completed a questionnaire regarding symptoms consistent with COVID-19 and the result of any SARS-CoV-2 PCR performed since the last sampling occasion. Participants with IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were re-sampled only on the sixth and last occasion.Results:
At the start of the study, 18 (15%) participants had SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies. At the end, 25 (19%) of 131 participants were seropositive. One case of asymptomatic infection was detected, and two cases with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 did not develop IgG antibodies.Conclusion:
The low rate of seroconversion during the study suggests that it is possible to prevent transmission of SARS-COV-2 in a high-exposure environment. Compliance with adequate infection control guidelines is the likely explanation of our findings.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Seroconversion
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Cohort study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
English
Journal:
Infect Dis (Lond)
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
23744235.2020.1849787
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS