SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence among healthcare workers: A cross-sectional study at a quaternary healthcare center in Saudi Arabia

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Hala A. Amer, King Saud Hospital Riyadh; Hassan A. Abdallah, King Saud Hospital Riyadh; Haifa S. Alkheledan, King Saud Hospital Riyadh; Shaimaa A. Alzarzour, King Saud Hospital Riyadh; Ahmad Shrahily, King Saud Hospital Riyadh; Hani Tamim, American University of Beirut; Saleh A. Alqahtani, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre; Ziad Memish, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2022-03-01
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jiph.2022.01.018
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Journal of Infection and Public Health
• Volume: 15
• Issue: 3
• Start Page: 343
• End Page: 348
• Grant/Funding Information: No funding was used for this project.
• Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; Healthcare workers; COVID-19; Humans; Saudi Arabia; Delivery of Health Care; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Infection Control measures; SARS-CoV-2 antibodies; Antibodies, Viral; Cross-Sectional Studies; Health Personnel; Prevalence
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Epidemiology; Health Sciences, Public Health; Health Sciences, Health Care Management; Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery

Abstract

Background The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among Healthcare Workers (HCWs). Methods We carried out a cross-sectional study among 3644 HCWs at King Saud Medical City (KSMC) during the last two weeks of December 2020. A Google form survey was used to collect data on demographics, underlying health conditions, job duties, infection control competencies, COVID-19 exposure history, symptoms, and confirmed infections. Findings 26.5% demonstrated seropositivity to SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, 10-fold higher than the national seroprevalence (2.36) conducted in May 2020. Seropositivity was significantly higher among non-Saudi HCWs and participants who lived outside the hospital dormitory p < 0.0001 and 0.01, respectively). Seropositivity was significantly higher among HCWs who worked on clinical areas of high exposure level, and those who spent longer duration working with patients with COVID-19; p = 0.002 and 0.005, respectively). Conclusion SARS-CoV-2 infections among HCWs can go unrecognized, which magnifies the importance of complying with universal masking and social distancing directives. Detecting SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in HCWs can help healthcare leaders in considering staff allocations and assignments accordingly.