Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Binding and Neutralizing Antibodies in Healthcare Workers during the Epidemic Peak in Referral Hospitals and Quarantine Sites: Saudi Arabia

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at high risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to the general population. Here, we aimed to evaluate and characterize the SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity rate in randomly collected samples among HCWs from the largest referral hospitals and quarantine sites during the peak of...

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Published inViruses Vol. 13; no. 7; p. 1413
Main Authors Alhabbab, Rowa Y., Alsaieedi, Ahdab, Algaissi, Abdullah, Almahboub, Sara, Al-Raddadi, Rajaa M., Shabouni, Omaima I., Alhabbab, Rahaf, Alfaraj, Abdulelah A., Alamri, Sawsan S., Aljehani, Najwa D., Abdulal, Rwaa H., Alfaleh, Mohamed A., Abujamel, Turki S., Alkayyal, Almohanad A., Mahmoud, Ahmad Bakur, Abuzenadah, Adel M., Hashem, Anwar M.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 20.07.2021
MDPI
Subjects
anti-S Abs
Antibodies
Asymptomatic
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
COVID-19 pandemic
Disease transmission
Epidemics
HCWs
Hospitals
Infections
Jeddah
Medical personnel
Middle East respiratory syndrome
Pandemics
Proteins
Quarantine
SARS-CoV-2
Serology
seroprevalence
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Saudi Arabia
United States > US
China
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Summary:Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at high risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to the general population. Here, we aimed to evaluate and characterize the SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity rate in randomly collected samples among HCWs from the largest referral hospitals and quarantine sites during the peak of the COVID-19 epidemic in the city of Jeddah, the second largest city in Saudi Arabia, using a cross-sectional analytic study design. Out of 693 participants recruited from 29 June to 10 August 2020, 223 (32.2%, 95% CI: 28.8–35.8) were found to be confirmed seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, and among those 197 (88.3%) had never been diagnosed with COVID-19. Seropositivity was not significantly associated with participants reporting COVID-19 compatible symptoms as most seropositive HCW participants 140 (62.8%) were asymptomatic. The large proportion of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 cases detected in our study demands periodic testing as a general hospital policy.
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ISSN:1999-4915
1999-4915
DOI:10.3390/v13071413