SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence among Health Care Workers—A Voluntary Screening Study in a Regional Medical Center in Southern Germany

Katharina Müller, Philipp Girl, Michaela Ruhnke, Mareike Spranger, Klaus Kaier, Heiner von Buttlar, Gerhard Dobler and Johannes P. Borde
Additional contact information
Katharina Müller: Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937 Munich, Germany
Philipp Girl: Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937 Munich, Germany
Michaela Ruhnke: Praxis Dr. J. Borde, Gesundheitszentrum Oberkirch, 77704 Oberkirch, Germany
Mareike Spranger: Praxis Dr. J. Borde, Gesundheitszentrum Oberkirch, 77704 Oberkirch, Germany
Klaus Kaier: Institute of Medical Biometry and Statistics, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center, University of Freiburg, 79098 Freiburg, Germany
Heiner von Buttlar: Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937 Munich, Germany
Gerhard Dobler: Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937 Munich, Germany
Johannes P. Borde: Praxis Dr. J. Borde, Gesundheitszentrum Oberkirch, 77704 Oberkirch, Germany

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 8, 1-10

Abstract: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is associated with a potentially severe clinical manifestation, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and currently poses a worldwide challenge. Health care workers (HCWs) are at the forefront of any health care system and thus especially at risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection due to their potentially frequent and close contact with patients suffering from COVID-19. Serum samples from 198 HCWs with direct patient contact of a regional medical center and several outpatient facilities were collected during the early phase of the pandemic (April 2020) and tested for SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies. Commercially available IgA- and IgG-specific ELISAs were used as screening technique, followed by an in-house neutralization assay for confirmation. Neutralizing SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies were detected in seven of 198 (3.5%) tested HCWs. There was no significant difference in seroprevalence between the regional medical center (3.4%) and the outpatient institution (5%). The overall seroprevalence of neutralizing SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies in HCWs in both a large regional medical center and a small outpatient institution was low (3.5%) at the beginning of April 2020. The findings may indicate that the timely implemented preventive measures (strict hygiene protocols, personal protective equipment) were effective to protect from transmission of an airborne virus when only limited information on the pathogen was available.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; health care personnel; seroprevalence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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