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Seroprevalence of COVID-19 Amongst Health Care Workers in a Tertiary Care Hospital of a Metropolitan City from India

26 Pages Posted: 20 Oct 2020

See all articles by Mahesh Kumar Goenka

Mahesh Kumar Goenka

Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals - Institute of Gastrosciences and Liver

Shivaraj Afzalpurkar

Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals - Institute of Gastrosciences and Liver

Usha Goenka

Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals - Department of Clinical Imaging and Interventional Radiology

Sudipta Sekhar Das

Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals - Department of Transfusion Medicine

Mohuya Mukherjee

Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals

Surabhi Jajodia

Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals - Department of Clinical Imaging and Interventional Radiology

Bhavik Bharat Shah

Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals - Institute of Gastrosciences and Liver

Vikram Uttam Patil

Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals - Institute of Gastrosciences and Liver

Gajanan Rodge

Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals - Institute of Gastrosciences and Liver

Ujjwayini Khan

Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals - Department of Microbiology

Syamasis Bandyopadhyay

Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals - Department of Internal Medicine

More...

Abstract

Background: Seroprevalence studies for COVID-19 evaluate the extent of undetected transmission in a defined community, with special significance among health care workers (HCW) owing to their greater exposure and potential to transmit.

Methods: A total of 1122 HCW (approximately 25% of the employees) of a large tertiary care hospital in India were recruited for this cross-sectional study. COVID PCR-positive HCW were excluded. Based on their risk-assessment, participants were grouped into three categories. A questionnaire was administered and they were tested for SARS-CoV-2-IgG antibodies using the chemiluminescence.

Findings: The overall seroprevalence among workers was 11.94%, which included 19.85% in COVID units, 11.09% in non-COVID units, and 8% in administrative workers. Antibody prevalence was highest in the department of gastroenterology (11.94%), followed by oncology (10.53%), pathology (10.26%), emergency medicine (7.84%) and critical care medicine (7%). Housekeeping staff, food and beverage staff, lab assistants and technicians had higher seroprevalence rate than doctors and nurses (p < 0.0001). HCW with a history of BCG vaccination in childhood and those who received an adequate prophylactic dose of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) had a lower seroprevalence as compared to those who did not (7.31% vs. 16.8% and 1.30% vs. 11.25% respectively).

Interpretation: BCG vaccination, HCQ prophylaxis, and the job profile influence the seroprevalence rate in HCW. Seroprevalence rate and follow-up evaluation of its durability may help hospitals to triage their staff at risk, rationalize their placement, prioritize the use of PPE, thereby potentially reducing the risk.

Financial Support: No external funding was involved in this study.

Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethics Approval Statement: The study was approved by the internal ethical committee of the institute.

Keywords: COVID-19, Seroprevalence, Health care worker, BCG vaccination, Hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis

Suggested Citation

Goenka, Mahesh Kumar and Afzalpurkar, Shivaraj and Goenka, Usha and Das, Sudipta Sekhar and Mukherjee, Mohuya and Jajodia, Surabhi and Shah, Bhavik Bharat and Patil, Vikram Uttam and Rodge, Gajanan and Khan, Ujjwayini and Bandyopadhyay, Syamasis, Seroprevalence of COVID-19 Amongst Health Care Workers in a Tertiary Care Hospital of a Metropolitan City from India. LANGLH-D-20-03363, The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific, Vol. 3, 100041, October 01, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanwpc.2020.100041, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3689618 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3689618

Mahesh Kumar Goenka (Contact Author)

Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals - Institute of Gastrosciences and Liver ( email )

India

Shivaraj Afzalpurkar

Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals - Institute of Gastrosciences and Liver ( email )

India

Usha Goenka

Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals - Department of Clinical Imaging and Interventional Radiology ( email )

India

Sudipta Sekhar Das

Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals - Department of Transfusion Medicine

India

Mohuya Mukherjee

Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals ( email )

India

Surabhi Jajodia

Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals - Department of Clinical Imaging and Interventional Radiology ( email )

India

Bhavik Bharat Shah

Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals - Institute of Gastrosciences and Liver ( email )

India

Vikram Uttam Patil

Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals - Institute of Gastrosciences and Liver

India

Gajanan Rodge

Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals - Institute of Gastrosciences and Liver ( email )

India

Ujjwayini Khan

Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals - Department of Microbiology ( email )

India

Syamasis Bandyopadhyay

Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals - Department of Internal Medicine ( email )

India

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