RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in health care workers from 10 hospitals in Quebec, Canada: a cross-sectional study
JF Canadian Medical Association Journal
JO CMAJ
FD Canadian Medical Association
SP E1868
OP E1877
DO 10.1503/cmaj.202783
VO 193
IS 49
A1 Brousseau, Nicholas
A1 Morin, Laurianne
A1 Ouakki, Manale
A1 Savard, Patrice
A1 Quach, Caroline
A1 Longtin, Yves
A1 Cheng, Matthew P.
A1 Carignan, Alex
A1 Dufresne, Simon F.
A1 Leduc, Jean-Michel
A1 Lavallée, Christian
A1 Gauthier, Nicolas
A1 Bestman-Smith, Julie
A1 Arrieta, Maria-Jesus
A1 Ishak, Magued
A1 Lévesque, Simon
A1 Martin, Philippe
A1 De Serres, Gaston
YR 2021
UL http://www.cmaj.ca/content/193/49/E1868.abstract
AB Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected health care workers. We sought to estimate SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among hospital health care workers in Quebec, Canada, after the first wave of the pandemic and to explore factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity.Methods: Between July 6 and Sept. 24, 2020, we enrolled health care workers from 10 hospitals, including 8 from a region with a high incidence of COVID-19 (the Montréal area) and 2 from low-incidence regions of Quebec. Eligible health care workers were physicians, nurses, orderlies and cleaning staff working in 4 types of care units (emergency department, intensive care unit, COVID-19 inpatient unit and non-COVID-19 inpatient unit). Participants completed a questionnaire and underwent SARS-CoV-2 serology testing. We identified factors independently associated with higher seroprevalence.Results: Among 2056 enrolled health care workers, 241 (11.7%) had positive SARS-CoV-2 serology. Of these, 171 (71.0%) had been previously diagnosed with COVID-19. Seroprevalence varied among hospitals, from 2.4% to 3.7% in low-incidence regions to 17.9% to 32.0% in hospitals with outbreaks involving 5 or more health care workers. Higher seroprevalence was associated with working in a hospital where outbreaks occurred (adjusted prevalence ratio 4.16, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.63–6.57), being a nurse or nursing assistant (adjusted prevalence ratio 1.34, 95% CI 1.03–1.74) or an orderly (adjusted prevalence ratio 1.49, 95% CI 1.12–1.97), and Black or Hispanic ethnicity (adjusted prevalence ratio 1.41, 95% CI 1.13–1.76). Lower seroprevalence was associated with working in the intensive care unit (adjusted prevalence ratio 0.47, 95% CI 0.30–0.71) or the emergency department (adjusted prevalence ratio 0.61, 95% CI 0.39–0.98).Interpretation: Health care workers in Quebec hospitals were at high risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, particularly in outbreak settings. More work is needed to better understand SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics in health care settings.