Low SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence but high perception of risk among healthcare workers at children's hospital before second pandemic wave in Germany.
World J Pediatr
; 17(5): 484-494, 2021 10.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1366410
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Healthcare workers are considered a particularly high-risk group during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Healthcare workers in paediatrics are a unique subgroup they come into frequent contact with children, who often experience few or no symptoms when infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and, therefore, may transmit the disease to unprotected staff. In Germany, no studies exist evaluating the risk of COVID-19 to healthcare workers in paediatric institutions.METHODS:
We tested the staff at a large children's hospital in Germany for immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibodies against the nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV-2 in a period between the first and second epidemic wave in Germany. We used a questionnaire to assess each individual's exposure risk and his/her own perception of having already been infected with SARS-CoV-2.RESULTS:
We recruited 619 participants from all sectors, clinical and non-clinical, constituting 70% of the entire staff. The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was 0.325% (95% confidence interval 0.039-1.168). Self-perceived risk of a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection decreased with age (odds ratio, 0.81; 95% confidence interval, 0.70-0.93). Having experienced symptoms more than doubled the odds of a high self-perceived risk (odds ratio, 2.18; 95% confidence interval, 1.59-3.00). There was no significant difference in self-perceived risk between men and women.CONCLUSIONS:
Seroprevalence was low among healthcare workers at a large children's hospital in Germany before the second epidemic wave, and it was far from a level that confers herd immunity. Self-perceived risk of infection is often overestimated.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Immunoglobulin G
/
Attitude of Health Personnel
/
Attitude to Health
/
Health Personnel
/
SARS-CoV-2
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
English
Journal:
World J Pediatr
Journal subject:
Pediatrics
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
S12519-021-00447-8
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