Prevalence of SARS-COV-2 antibodies in the Thomayer University Hospital staff after the first wave of COVID-19
Authors:
M. Ibrahimová 1; V. Jamriková 2; P. Sojka 1; Z. Khaznadar 1; K. Bořecká 2
Authors‘ workplace:
Imunologická laboratoř, Fakultní Thomayerova nemocnice, Praha
1; Oddělení klinické biochemie, Fakultní Thomayerova nemocnice, Praha
2
Published in:
Epidemiol. Mikrobiol. Imunol. 71, 2022, č. 1, s. 3-8
Category:
Original Papers
Overview
Objectives: To map the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the staff of the Thomayer University Hospital in Prague following the first wave of COVID-19. The main reason was the large number of COVID-19 patients admitted to the Thomayer University Hospital with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Material and Methods: A volunteer study based on a questionnaire survey and determination of total antibodies (ECLIA, Roche) and individual classes of immunoglobulins (ELISA IgG and IgA, Euroimmun).
Results: The study involved 808 employees, 2/3 of whom were from clinical departments. Fifteen participants, predominantly nurses (n = 12), tested ECLIA positive for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and ELISA positive or borderline positive for IgG antibodies. Positive or borderline IgA antibodies were recorded in 12 subjects. Most of the positive study participants (n = 13) contracted the SARS-CoV-2 virus at the workplace after repeated contact with positive patients. Most subjects infected (n = 12) had a more severe course but did not require hospitalization. We detected only one asymptomatic antibody-positive person.
Conclusions: After the first wave of COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were only demonstrated in 1.9% of the Thomayer University Hospital employees tested. In clinical departments, the positivity rate was 2.3%, and in non-clinical departments, it was only 0.5%. The low prevalence of antibodies points to the low number of infected hospital staff and a very good level of compliance with all public health and epidemiological measures.
Keywords:
health professionals – Antibodies – SARS-CoV-2 – COVID-19 – prevalence
Sources
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Hygiene and epidemiology Medical virology Clinical microbiologyArticle was published in
Epidemiology, Microbiology, Immunology
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