SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence among Healthcare Workers in General Hospitals and Clinics in Japan

Tatsuya Yoshihara, Kazuya Ito, Masayoshi Zaitsu, Eunhee Chung, Izumi Aoyagi, Yoshikazu Kaji, Tomomi Tsuru, Takuma Yonemura, Koji Yamaguchi, Shinichi Nakayama, Yosuke Tanaka, Nobuo Yurino, Hideki Koyanagi, Shunji Matsuki, Ryuji Urae and Shin Irie
Additional contact information
Tatsuya Yoshihara: Clinical Research Center, SOUSEIKAI Fukuoka Mirai Hospital, Kashiiteriha 3-5-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 813-0017, Japan
Kazuya Ito: SOUSEIKAI Clinical Epidemiological Research Center, Kashiiteriha 3-5-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 813-0017, Japan
Masayoshi Zaitsu: Department of Public Health, Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine, 880 Kitakobayashi, Mibu-machi, Shimotsuga-gun, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan
Eunhee Chung: SOUSEIKAI Global Clinical Research Center, Kashiiteriha 3-5-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 813-0017, Japan
Izumi Aoyagi: Department of Internal Medicine, SOUSEIKAI Fukuoka Mirai Hospital, Kashiiteriha 3-5-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 813-0017, Japan
Yoshikazu Kaji: SOUSEIKAI Hakata Clinic, 6-18 Tenyamachi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka 812-0025, Japan
Tomomi Tsuru: SOUSEIKAI PS Clinic, 6-18 Tenyamachi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka 812-0025, Japan
Takuma Yonemura: SOUSEIKAI Sumida Hospital, 1-29-1, Honjo, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 130-0004, Japan
Koji Yamaguchi: SOUSEIKAI Nishikumamoto Hospital, 1012 Koga, Tomiaimachi, Minami-ku, Kumamoto 861-4157, Japan
Shinichi Nakayama: SOUSEIKAI Miyata Hospital, 1636 Honjo, Miyawaka, Fukuoka 823-0003, Japan
Yosuke Tanaka: SOUSEIKAI Kanenokuma Hospital, 3-24-16 Kanenokuma, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka 812-0863, Japan
Nobuo Yurino: SOUSEIKAI Shinyoshizuka Hospital, 7-6-29, Yoshizuka, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka 812-0041, Japan
Hideki Koyanagi: SOUSEIKAI Dodo Clinic, 1-31-13, Nakaikegami, Ota-ku, Tokyo 146-0081, Japan
Shunji Matsuki: Clinical Research Center, SOUSEIKAI Fukuoka Mirai Hospital, Kashiiteriha 3-5-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 813-0017, Japan
Ryuji Urae: SOUSEIKAI, 3-5-1 Kashiiteriha, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 813-0017, Japan
Shin Irie: SOUSEIKAI, 3-5-1 Kashiiteriha, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 813-0017, Japan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 7, 1-6

Abstract: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a serious public health problem worldwide. In general, healthcare workers are considered to be at higher risk of COVID-19 infection. However, the prevalence of COVID-19 among healthcare workers in Japan is not well characterized. In this study, we aimed to examine the seroprevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies among 2160 healthcare workers in hospitals and clinics that are not designated to treat COVID-19 patients in Japan. The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G was 1.2% in August and October 2020 (during and after the second wave of the pandemic in Japan), which is relatively higher than that in the general population in Japan (0.03–0.91%). Because of the higher risk of COVID-19 infection, healthcare workers should be the top priority for further social support and vaccination against SARS-CoV-2.

Keywords: antibody; COVID-19; healthcare workers; SARS-CoV-2; seroprevalence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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