Cumulative incidence, prevalence, seroconversion, and associated factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers of a University Hospital in Bogotá, Colombia

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 17; no. 9; p. e0274484
• Main Authors: Valderrama-Beltrán, Sandra Liliana, Cuervo-Rojas, Juliana, Ariza, Beatriz, Cardozo, Claudia, Ángel, Juana, Martinez-Vernaza, Samuel, Juliana Soto, María, Arcila, Julieth, Salgado, Diana, Rondón, Martín, Cepeda, Magda, Castellanos, Julio Cesar, Gómez-Restrepo, Carlos, Franco, Manuel Antonio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 19.09.2022; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Antibodies; Antigens; Biology and life sciences; Body weight; Colombia - epidemiology; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; Cross-sectional studies; Disease transmission; Emergency medical care; Emergency medical services; Engineering and Technology; Enzymes; Epidemics; Health aspects; Health care; Health Personnel; Health risks; Hospitals, University; Humans; Incidence; Infections; Laboratories; Medical personnel; Medicine and health sciences; Mortality; Overweight; Pandemics; People and Places; Personal protective equipment; Prevalence; Protective equipment; Proteins; Questionnaires; Research and Analysis Methods; Respirators; Respiratory diseases; Risk assessment; Risk management; SARS-CoV-2; Seroconversion; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Serology; Severe acute respiratory syndrome; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Sociodemographics; Statistics; Viral diseases; Colombia
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274484

This study aimed to determine the cumulative incidence, prevalence, and seroconversion of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its associated factors among healthcare workers (HCWs) of a University Hospital in Bogotá, Colombia. An ambispective cohort was established from March 2020 to February 2021. From November 2020 to February 2021, SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were measured on two occasions 14-90 days apart to determine seroprevalence and seroconversion. We used multivariate log-binomial regression to evaluate factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among 2,597 HCWs, the cumulative incidence of infection was 35.7%, and seroprevalence was 21.5%. A reduced risk of infection was observed among those aged 35-44 and ≥45 years (adjusted relative risks [aRRs], 0.84 and 0.83, respectively), physicians (aRR, 0.77), those wearing N95 respirators (aRR, 0.82) and working remotely (aRR, 0.74). Being overweight (aRR, 1.18) or obese (aRR, 1.24); being a nurse or nurse assistant (aRR, 1.20); working in the emergency room (aRR, 1.45), general wards (aRR, 1.45), intensive care unit (aRR, 1.34), or COVID-19 areas (aRR, 1.17); and close contact with COVID-19 cases (aRR, 1.47) increased the risk of infection. The incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection found in this study reflects the dynamics of the first year of the pandemic in Bogotá. A high burden of infection calls for strengthening prevention and screening measures for HCWs, focusing especially on those at high risk.