SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence Survey in Grocery Store Workers—Minnesota, 2020–2021

Madhura S. Vachon, Ryan T. Demmer, Stephanie Yendell, Kathryn J. Draeger, Timothy J. Beebe and Craig W. Hedberg
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Madhura S. Vachon: Division of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
Ryan T. Demmer: Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
Stephanie Yendell: Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, MN 55164, USA
Kathryn J. Draeger: Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
Timothy J. Beebe: Division of Health Policy and Management, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
Craig W. Hedberg: Division of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 6, 1-8

Abstract: Grocery workers were essential to the workforce and exempt from lockdown requirements as per Minnesota Executive Order 20–20. The risk of COVID-19 transmission in grocery settings is not well documented. This study aimed to determine which factors influenced seropositivity among grocery workers. We conducted a cross-sectional study of Minnesota grocery workers aged 18 and older using a convenience sample. Participants were recruited using a flyer disseminated electronically via e-mail, social media, and newspaper advertising. Participants were directed to an electronic survey and were asked to self-collect capillary blood for IgG antibody testing. Data were analyzed using logistic regression and adjusted for urbanicity, which confounded the relationship between number of job responsibilities in a store and seropositivity. Of 861 Minnesota grocery workers surveyed, 706 (82%) were tested as part of this study, of which 56 (7.9%) tested positive for IgG antibodies. Participants aged 65–74 years had the highest percent positivity. Having multiple job responsibilities in a store was significantly associated with seropositivity in our adjusted model (OR: 1.14 95% CI: 1.01–1.27). Workplace factors influenced seropositivity among Minnesota grocery workers. Future research will examine other potential factors (e.g., in-store preventive measures and access to PPE) that may contribute to increased seropositivity.

Keywords: COVID-19; grocery workers; serosurvey (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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