Risk assessment and antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare workers

Frontiers in Public Health

Public Health

Jan Stefan Olofsson¹  Anders Madsen¹  Mai-Chi Trieu¹  Therese Bredholt Onyango¹  Lena Hansen¹  Helene Heitmann Sandnes¹  Amit Bansal¹  Kristin G. I. Mohn²  Rebecca Jane Cox³  Camilla Tøndel⁴  Karl Albert Brokstad⁵  Heidi Syre⁶  Marianne Sævik⁷  Hanne Søyland⁷  Nina Langeland⁸  Åse Garløv Riis⁹ 

[1] Department of Clinical Science, Influenza Centre, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway;Department of Clinical Science, Influenza Centre, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway;Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway;Department of Clinical Science, Influenza Centre, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway;Department of Microbiology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway;Department of Clinical Science, Influenza Centre, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway;Department of Paediatrics, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway;Department of Clinical Science, Influenza Centre, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway;Department of Safety, Chemistry and Biomedical Laboratory Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway;Department of Medical Microbiology, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway;Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway;Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway;Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway;Department of Medicine, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway;

关键词: healthcare workers;    COVID-19;    SARS-CoV-2;    spike protein;    antibodies;    occupational;    household;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpubh.2023.1164326

 received in 2023-02-12, accepted in 2023-06-22,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundPreventing infection in healthcare workers (HCWs) is crucial for protecting healthcare systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we investigated the seroepidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in HCWs in Norway with low-transmission settings.MethodsFrom March 2020, we recruited HCWs at four medical centres. We determined infection by SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR and serological testing and evaluated the association between infection and exposure variables, comparing our findings with global data in a meta-analysis. Anti-spike IgG antibodies were measured after infection and/or vaccination in a longitudinal cohort until June 2021.ResultsWe identified a prevalence of 10.5% (95% confidence interval, CI: 8.8–12.3) in 2020 and an incidence rate of 15.0 cases per 100 person-years (95% CI: 12.5–17.8) among 1,214 HCWs with 848 person-years of follow-up time. Following infection, HCWs (n = 63) mounted durable anti-spike IgG antibodies with a half-life of 4.3 months since their seropositivity. HCWs infected with SARS-CoV-2 in 2020 (n = 46) had higher anti-spike IgG titres than naive HCWs (n = 186) throughout the 5 months after vaccination with BNT162b2 and/or ChAdOx1-S COVID-19 vaccines in 2021. In a meta-analysis including 20 studies, the odds ratio (OR) for SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity was significantly higher with household contact (OR 12.6; 95% CI: 4.5–35.1) and occupational exposure (OR 2.2; 95% CI: 1.4–3.2).ConclusionWe found high and modest risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection with household and occupational exposure, respectively, in HCWs, suggesting the need to strengthen infection prevention strategies within households and medical centres. Infection generated long-lasting antibodies in most HCWs; therefore, we support delaying COVID-19 vaccination in primed HCWs, prioritising the non-infected high-risk HCWs amid vaccine shortage.

【 授权许可】

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Copyright © 2023 Bansal, Trieu, Mohn, Madsen, Olofsson, Sandnes, Sævik, Søyland, Hansen, Onyango, Tøndel, Brokstad, Bergen COVID-19 research group, Syre, Riis, Langeland and Cox.