SARS CoV-2 Infection among Health Care Workers from Different Health Care Facilities in Western Norway: A Prospective, Cross-Sectional Study

• Published in: Viruses Vol. 14; no. 12; p. 2652
• Main Authors: Kittang, Bård Reiakvam, Blomberg, Bjørn, Sævik, Marianne, Olofsson, Jan Stefan, Bergen Covid-Research Group, Langeland, Nina, Cox, Rebecca Jane
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 28.11.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Antibodies; Antibodies, Viral; Asymptomatic; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Delivery of Health Care; Disease control; Disease transmission; Emergency medical care; HCW; Health aspects; Health care; Health Personnel; Hospitals; Humans; Infections; Medical personnel; Norway - epidemiology; Nursing homes; Occupational exposure; Pandemics; Personal protective equipment; Polymerase chain reaction; PPE; Primary care; Prospective Studies; SARS-CoV-2; SARS-CoV-2 antibodies; Serology; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Statistical analysis; Norway; United States > US; COVID-19; PPE; SARS-CoV-2 antibodies; HCW
• ISSN: 1999-4915; 1999-4915
• DOI: 10.3390/v14122652

Comparative data on COVID-19 among health care workers (HCWs) in different health care settings are scarce. This study investigated the rates of previous COVID-19 among HCWs in nursing homes, hospitals and a municipal emergency room (ER). We prospectively included 747 HCWs: 313 from nursing homes, 394 from hospitals and 40 from the ER. The diagnosis of COVID-19 was based on serological evidence of SARS-CoV-2 antibody positivity and self-reported RT-PCR positivity prior to inclusion. Information regarding age, sex and exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection was collected. A total of 4% (11/313) of nursing home HCWs and 6% (28/434) of HCWs in hospitals/the ER tested positive by serology and/or RT-PCR ( = 0.095). Fewer HCWs in nursing homes had occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 compared to those in hospitals/the ER (16% vs. 48%, < 0, 001), but nursing homes had a higher proportion of HCWs with occupational exposure using partial/no PPE (56% vs. 19%, < 0.001). Nevertheless, no significant differences in the risk for COVID-19 were found in relation to the rate of occupational exposure ( = 0.755) or use of inadequate PPE ( = 0.631). Despite a small sample size, the risk for COVID-19 among HCWs did not appear to be related to the type of health care facility, rates of occupational exposure or use of PPE.