Prevalence of COVID-19 antibodies among operating room and critical care staff at a tertiary teaching hospital: A cross-sectional study

Saudi Med J. 2021 Jul;42(7):742-749. doi: 10.15537/smj.2021.42.7.20210348.

Abstract

Objectives: To identify the prevalence of COVID-19 antibodies among operating room and critical care staff.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 319 Healthcare workers employed in the operation theater and intensive care unit of King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH), a tertiary teaching hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia between August 9, 2020 and November 2, 2020. All participants completed a 20-item questionnaire on demographic data and COVID-19 risk factors and provided blood samples. Antibody testing was performed using an in-house enzyme immunoassay and microneutralization test.

Results: Of the 319 participants, 39 had detectable COVID-19 antibodies. Five of them had never experienced any symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, and only 19 were previously diagnosed with COVID-19. The odds of developing COVID-19 or having corresponding antibodies increased if participants experienced COVID-19 symptoms (odds ratio [OR], 3.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-7.5) or reported contact with an infected family member (OR, 5.3; 95% CI, 2.5-11.2). Disease acquisition was not associated with employment in the ICU and involvement in the intubation of or close contact with COVID-19 patients. Of the 19 previously diagnosed participants, 6 did not possess any detectable COVID-19 antibodies.

Conclusions: Healthcare workers may have undiagnosed COVID-19, and those previously infected may not have long-lasting immunity. Therefore, hospitals must continue to uphold strict infection control during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; ELISA; SARS-COV-2; Saudi Arabia; healthcare worker; immune reaction; infection control; microneutralization assay.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / blood
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood
  • COVID-19 / diagnosis*
  • COVID-19 / epidemiology
  • COVID-19 Serological Testing / statistics & numerical data*
  • Critical Care
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Female
  • Health Personnel*
  • Hospitals, Teaching
  • Humans
  • Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Operating Rooms
  • Pandemics
  • Prevalence
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • SARS-CoV-2 / genetics
  • SARS-CoV-2 / isolation & purification*
  • Saudi Arabia / epidemiology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Antibodies, Viral