Search for asymptomatic carriers of SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare workers during the pandemic: a Spanish experience
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Abstract
Background
Asymptomatic carriers of SARS-CoV-2 can be a vehicle for transmission of the infection. This fact is of particular importance in the case of healthcare workers (HCWs).
Design
Cross-sectional study in HCWs in a medium size hospital in the South of Spain.
Methods
Between 15 and 25 April 2020, naso- and oropharyngeal PCR determination was performed together with IgG and IgM antibody determination by immunochromatography to the HCWs of the Costa del Sol Hospital in Marbella of the units involved in patient care with COVID-19: Emergencies, Intensive Care and Anesthesia, Internal Medicine and Pneumology. Other units not directly involved in the care of these patients were offered to participate. On the day of sampling, a health questionnaire was answered, reporting symptoms on the same day and in the previous 14 days.
Results
Four hundred and ninety-eight HCWs were studied. Two individuals were detected with PCR for SARS-CoV2 positive. Both were asymptomatic on the day of sampling, but one of them had had a COVID-19 compatible picture in the previous two weeks and had positive IgG and IgM; therefore, only one subject was truly asymptomatic carrier (0.2%). Nine workers with positive IgG (1.8%) were detected.
Conclusions
The prevalence of asymptomatic carriers among health workers of the services directly involved in the care of patients with COVID-19 was very low in our center. This type of strategy can be one more tool in controlling the pandemic.
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SciScore for 10.1101/2020.05.18.20103283: (What is this?)
Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.
Table 1: Rigor
Institutional Review Board Statement Consent: All the members signed an informed consent and authorization was obtained from the management of the center and the approval of the local Ethics Committee to carry it out.
IRB: All the members signed an informed consent and authorization was obtained from the management of the center and the approval of the local Ethics Committee to carry it out.Randomization not detected. Blinding not detected. Power Analysis not detected. Sex as a biological variable not detected. Table 2: Resources
Antibodies Sentences Resources IgG and IgM antibodies were detected in serum by solid phase immunochromatography (COVID-19 IgG / IgM Rapid Test Cassette, (Zhejiang Orient Gene … SciScore for 10.1101/2020.05.18.20103283: (What is this?)
Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.
Table 1: Rigor
Institutional Review Board Statement Consent: All the members signed an informed consent and authorization was obtained from the management of the center and the approval of the local Ethics Committee to carry it out.
IRB: All the members signed an informed consent and authorization was obtained from the management of the center and the approval of the local Ethics Committee to carry it out.Randomization not detected. Blinding not detected. Power Analysis not detected. Sex as a biological variable not detected. Table 2: Resources
Antibodies Sentences Resources IgG and IgM antibodies were detected in serum by solid phase immunochromatography (COVID-19 IgG / IgM Rapid Test Cassette, (Zhejiang Orient Gene Biotech Co., LTD). IgMsuggested: NoneCOVID-19 IgGsuggested: NoneSoftware and Algorithms Sentences Resources Statistic analysis: A database was generated in SPSS 15, carrying out a descriptive analysis of the variables. SPSSsuggested: (SPSS, RRID:SCR_002865)Results from OddPub: We did not detect open data. We also did not detect open code. Researchers are encouraged to share open data when possible (see Nature blog).
Results from LimitationRecognizer: We detected the following sentences addressing limitations in the study:The active search for asymptomatic carriers constitutes an additional measure that could affect the limitation of nosocomial transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Nosocomial outbreaks have been reported in residences whose door of entry could have been the presence of an infected worker(8) and nosocomial transmission has been presumed in up to 29% of the healthcare workers infected at the start of the pandemic(9). In these outbreaks, the presence of asymptomatic carriers reaches more than half of the individuals with positive PCR, although after a few days the truly asymptomatic ones are very rare. This coincides with our finding that, in a hospital care setting that includes CoVID-19 patients, the proportion of asymptomatic carriers is minimal. This strategy remains one of the weaknesses in the control of the pandemic(10), as long as transmission has been described from asymptomatic cases(11, 12). Other screening strategies based on typical symptoms of CoVID-19 in healthcare workers have shown that about 20% of individuals with positive PCR would not have been detected if the criteria had not been extended to the presence of nonspecific symptoms(13). It also constitutes a control measure that is likely to reduce the anxiety of health personnel, just as measures to reinforce safety and protection in the care of this type of patient do(14). In this sense, local worker protection policies may have influenced both the percentage of sick workers and that of asymptomatic carriers to be smal...
Results from TrialIdentifier: No clinical trial numbers were referenced.
Results from Barzooka: We did not find any issues relating to the usage of bar graphs.
Results from JetFighter: We did not find any issues relating to colormaps.
Results from rtransparent:- Thank you for including a conflict of interest statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
- Thank you for including a funding statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
- No protocol registration statement was detected.
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