SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence among Healthcare Workers after the First and Second Pandemic Waves
<b>Background:</b> The Grand Hôpital de Charleroi is a large non-academic Belgian hospital that treated a large number of COVID-19 inpatients. In the context of this pandemic, all professions-combined healthcare workers (HCWs), and not only direct caregivers, are a frontline workforce in...
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MDPI AG
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/7/1535 |
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| author | Nathalie de Visscher Xavier Holemans Aline Gillain Anne Kornreich Raphael Lagasse Philippe Piette Manfredi Ventura Frédéric Thys |
| author_facet | Nathalie de Visscher Xavier Holemans Aline Gillain Anne Kornreich Raphael Lagasse Philippe Piette Manfredi Ventura Frédéric Thys |
| author_sort | Nathalie de Visscher |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Background:</b> The Grand Hôpital de Charleroi is a large non-academic Belgian hospital that treated a large number of COVID-19 inpatients. In the context of this pandemic, all professions-combined healthcare workers (HCWs), and not only direct caregivers, are a frontline workforce in contact with suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases and seem to be a high-risk group for exposure. The aim of our study was to estimate the prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in HCWs in our hospital after the first and second pandemic waves and to characterize the distribution of this seroprevalence in relation to various criteria. <b>Methods:</b> At the end of the two recruitment periods, a total of 4008 serological tests were performed in this single-center cross-sectional study. After completing a questionnaire including demographic and personal data, possible previous COVID-19 diagnostic test results and/or the presence of symptoms potentially related to COVID-19, the study participants underwent blood sampling and serological testing using DiaSorin’s LIAISON<sup>®</sup> SARS-CoV-2 S1/S2 IgG test for the first phase and LIAISON<sup>®</sup> SARS-CoV-2 TrimericS IgG test for the second phase of this study. <b>Results:</b> In total, 302 study participants (10.72%) in the first round of the study and 404 (33.92%) in the second round were positive for SARS-CoV-2-IgG antibodies. The prevalence of seropositivity observed after the second wave was 3.16 times higher than after the first wave. We confirmed that direct, prolonged, and repeated contact with patients or their environment was a predominant seroconversion factor, but more unexpectedly, that this was the case for all HCWs and not only caregivers. Finally, the notion of high-risk contact seemed more readily identifiable in one’s workplace than in one’s private life. <b>Conclusions:</b> Our study confirmed that HCWs are at a significantly higher risk of contracting COVID-19 than the general population, and suggests that repeated contacts with at-risk patients, regardless of the HCWs’ professions, represents the most important risk factor for seroconversion (Clinicaltrials.gov number, NCT04723290). |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:10:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b52cd458d3ca4b508c002081effa4583 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:10:41Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-b52cd458d3ca4b508c002081effa45832023-12-01T22:47:25ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152022-07-01147153510.3390/v14071535SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence among Healthcare Workers after the First and Second Pandemic WavesNathalie de Visscher0Xavier Holemans1Aline Gillain2Anne Kornreich3Raphael Lagasse4Philippe Piette5Manfredi Ventura6Frédéric Thys7Department of Infectiology and Internal Medicine, Grand Hôpital de Charleroi (GHdC), B-6000 Charleroi, BelgiumDepartment of Infectiology and Internal Medicine, Grand Hôpital de Charleroi (GHdC), B-6000 Charleroi, BelgiumClinical Research and Translational Unit, Grand Hôpital de Charleroi (GHdC), B-6000 Charleroi, BelgiumDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Grand Hôpital de Charleroi (GHdC), B-6000 Charleroi, BelgiumDepartment of Medico-Economic Information, Grand Hôpital de Charleroi (GHdC), B-6000 Charleroi, BelgiumDepartment of Medico-Economic Information, Grand Hôpital de Charleroi (GHdC), B-6000 Charleroi, BelgiumDepartment of Medical Management Team, Grand Hôpital de Charleroi (GHdC), B-6000 Charleroi, BelgiumClinical Research and Translational Unit, Grand Hôpital de Charleroi (GHdC), B-6000 Charleroi, Belgium<b>Background:</b> The Grand Hôpital de Charleroi is a large non-academic Belgian hospital that treated a large number of COVID-19 inpatients. In the context of this pandemic, all professions-combined healthcare workers (HCWs), and not only direct caregivers, are a frontline workforce in contact with suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases and seem to be a high-risk group for exposure. The aim of our study was to estimate the prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in HCWs in our hospital after the first and second pandemic waves and to characterize the distribution of this seroprevalence in relation to various criteria. <b>Methods:</b> At the end of the two recruitment periods, a total of 4008 serological tests were performed in this single-center cross-sectional study. After completing a questionnaire including demographic and personal data, possible previous COVID-19 diagnostic test results and/or the presence of symptoms potentially related to COVID-19, the study participants underwent blood sampling and serological testing using DiaSorin’s LIAISON<sup>®</sup> SARS-CoV-2 S1/S2 IgG test for the first phase and LIAISON<sup>®</sup> SARS-CoV-2 TrimericS IgG test for the second phase of this study. <b>Results:</b> In total, 302 study participants (10.72%) in the first round of the study and 404 (33.92%) in the second round were positive for SARS-CoV-2-IgG antibodies. The prevalence of seropositivity observed after the second wave was 3.16 times higher than after the first wave. We confirmed that direct, prolonged, and repeated contact with patients or their environment was a predominant seroconversion factor, but more unexpectedly, that this was the case for all HCWs and not only caregivers. Finally, the notion of high-risk contact seemed more readily identifiable in one’s workplace than in one’s private life. <b>Conclusions:</b> Our study confirmed that HCWs are at a significantly higher risk of contracting COVID-19 than the general population, and suggests that repeated contacts with at-risk patients, regardless of the HCWs’ professions, represents the most important risk factor for seroconversion (Clinicaltrials.gov number, NCT04723290).https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/7/1535healthcare workersSARS-CoV-2seroprevalencepandemic wavesBelgium |
| spellingShingle | Nathalie de Visscher Xavier Holemans Aline Gillain Anne Kornreich Raphael Lagasse Philippe Piette Manfredi Ventura Frédéric Thys SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence among Healthcare Workers after the First and Second Pandemic Waves Viruses healthcare workers SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence pandemic waves Belgium |
| title | SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence among Healthcare Workers after the First and Second Pandemic Waves |
| title_full | SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence among Healthcare Workers after the First and Second Pandemic Waves |
| title_fullStr | SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence among Healthcare Workers after the First and Second Pandemic Waves |
| title_full_unstemmed | SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence among Healthcare Workers after the First and Second Pandemic Waves |
| title_short | SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence among Healthcare Workers after the First and Second Pandemic Waves |
| title_sort | sars cov 2 seroprevalence among healthcare workers after the first and second pandemic waves |
| topic | healthcare workers SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence pandemic waves Belgium |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/7/1535 |
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