RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among healthcare workers from a tertiary care center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
JF Saudi Medical Journal
JO Saudi Med J
FD Prince Sultan Military Medical City
SP 1243
OP 1246
DO 10.15537/smj.2021.42.11.20210391
VO 42
IS 11
A1 Abeer M. Albaadani
A1 Eid A. Alsufyani
A1 Mohamed I. Mursi
A1 Mohamed H. Haris
A1 Kiran K. Kalam
A1 Nisreen M. Alsherbeeni
A1 Ahmed M. Al-Rumaihi
A1 Souad M. Alateah
A1 Medina A. Ahmed
A1 Moayad M. Alqurashi
YR 2021
UL http://smj.org.sa/content/42/11/1243.abstract
AB Objectives: To calculate the seroprevalence of asymptomatic healthcare workers (HCWs) in our institution.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among asymptomatic HCWs in a large hospital during the peak of the pandemic (from July to August 2020 and followed them up until February 2021) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We collected the data in a Microsoft Word document after collecting a single serum sample for detection of antibodies from each participant then we compared the results statically in Microsoft Excel tables.Results: We enrolled 188 participants and measured their IgG antibodies from venous blood samples using CLIA. Six (3.2%) had positive antibodies despite being asymptomatic. Most of these were from non-COVID-19 working areas (4 out of 6), but all had an exposure with a positive COVID-19 patient at some point in the preceding 2 months.Conclusions: Our results are consistent with similar local studies showing low seroprevalence among HCWs while most positive cases are from non-COVID-19 areas. Despite this low seroprevalence, HCWs are still considered a high-risk group; hence, there is a need to encourage strict implementation and adherence to infection control measures and vaccination among HCWs, especially when these measures are relaxed on the national level.