Seroprevalence and Correlates of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Healthcare Workers in Chicago

Abstract Background Identifying factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers (HCW)s may help health systems optimize SARS-CoV-2 infection control strategies. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the Northwestern HCW SARS-CoV-2 Serology Cohort Study. We used the Abbott Architect Nucleocapsid IgG assay to determine seropositivity. Logistic regression models (adjusted for demographics and self-reported community exposure to COVID-19) were fit to quantify the associations between occupation group, healthcare delivery tasks, and community exposure and seropositive status. Results 6,510 HCWs, including 1,794 nurses, and 904 non-patient facing administrators participated. The majority were women (79.6%), 74.9% were white, 9.7% were Asian, 7.3% were Hispanic and 3.1% were non-Hispanic Black. The crude prevalence of seropositivity was 4.8%(95% confidence interval (CI):4.6%-5.2%). Seropositivity varied by race/ethnicity as well as age, ranging from 4.2% to 9.6%. Out-of-hospital exposure to COVID-19 occurred in 9.3% of HCWs, 15.0%(95%CI:12.2-18.1%) of whom were seropositive; those with family members diagnosed with COVID-19 had a seropositivity rate of 54%(95%CI: 44.2%-65.2%). Support service workers 10.4%(95% CI:4.6-19.4%), medical assistants 10.1%(95% CI:5.5-16.6%), and nurses 7.6%(95% CI:6.4%-9.0%) had significantly higher seropositivity rates than administrators (referent) 3.3%(95%CI:2.3–4.4%). However, after adjustment, nursing was the only occupation group with a significantly higher odds (OR:1.9, 95%CI:1.3-2.9) of seropositivity. Exposure to patients receiving high-flow oxygen therapy, and hemodialysis was significantly associated with 45% and 57% higher odds for seropositive status, respectively. Conclusions HCWs are at risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection from longer duration exposures to people infected with SARS-CoV-2 within healthcare settings and their communities of residence.

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Seroprevalence and Correlates of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Healthcare Workers in Chicago

10.1101/2020.09.11.20192385 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

John Wilkins ◽

Elizabeth Lucia Gray ◽

Amisha Wallia ◽

Lisa Hirschhorn ◽

Teresa Zembower ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Control Strategies ◽

Healthcare Delivery ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Logistic Regression Models ◽

Occupation Group ◽

High Flow Oxygen ◽

Community Exposure ◽

Sectional Analysis ◽

Abbott Architect

Background: Identifying factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers (HCW)s may help health systems optimize SARS-CoV-2 infection control strategies. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the Northwestern HCW SARS-CoV-2 Serology Cohort Study. The Abbott Architect Nucleocapsid IgG assay was used to determine seropositivity. Logistic regression models (unadjusted and adjusted for demographics and self-reported community exposure to COVID-19) were fit to quantify the associations between occupation group, healthcare delivery tasks, and community exposure and seropositive status. Results: 6,510 HCWs, including 1,794 nurses, and 904 non-patient facing administrators participated. The majority were women (79.6%), 74.9% were white, 9.7% were Asian, 7.3% were Hispanic and 3.1% were Black. The crude prevalence rate of seropositivity was 4.8% (95% confidence interval (CI): 4.6%-5.2%). Out-of-hospital exposure to COVID-19 occurred in 9.3% of HCWs and was strongly associated with seropositivity (OR=4.7, 95% CI: 3.5-6.4). When compared to administrators, nursing was the only occupation group with a significantly higher adjusted-odds (OR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.3-2.9) of seropositivity. Exposure to COVID-19 patients was reported by 37.8% of participants and was associated with higher positivity than those not exposed (OR= 2.2, 95% CI: 1.6-3.0). Being exposed to patients receiving high-flow oxygen therapy, and hemodialysis also remained significantly associated with a 45% and 57% higher odds for seropositive status, respectively. Conclusions: Exposure to COVID-19 patients, and longer duration patient therapies were each associated with higher risk for seropositive status; however, the community burden of COVID-19 remains a significant source of exposure to SARS CoV-2 infection among HCWs in Chicago.

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Knowledge, perception and practice of preconception care among health workers in primary healthcare settings in Ibadan, Nigeria

African Journal of Midwifery and Women s Health ◽

10.12968/ajmw.2020.0016 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (3) ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Karalolo Benedict ◽

Emikpe Abigael Omowumi ◽

Owusu Lydia Boampong

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Preconception Care ◽

Health Workers ◽

Healthcare Delivery ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Healthcare Settings ◽

Social Risks ◽

Care Guidelines ◽

Structured Questionnaire ◽

Ibadan Nigeria

Background Preconception care comprises interventions that aim to identify and modify biomedical, behavioural and social risks to a woman's health or pregnancy outcome through prevention and management. Despite its importance, it is less routinely practiced in Nigeria and information on the knowledge and practice of preconception care among health workers at the community level is scanty. Hence, this study investigated healthcare workers' knowledge, perception and practice of preconception care in Ibadan, Nigeria. Methods A descriptive, cross-sectional research design, using non-probability sampling, was used to select 80 health workers across two local government areas in Ibadan to participate in this study. Four research questions with two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study and a semi-structured questionnaire was distributed to gather data on the participants' knowledge, perceptions and practice of preconception care. The data were analysed using regression analysis, with P<0.05 used to indicate significance. Results The majority of respondents had fair knowledge of preconception care (53.8%), and a generally positive perception (74.3%), but poor practice (42.2%) of preconception care. Only 15.0% practiced preconception care every day when caring for women and couples in their communities. Knowledge of preconception care was positively associated with health workers' age (P<0.000), occupation (P=0.002) and years of experience (P<0.000). Conclusions Healthcare workers in Ibadan need to be trained on preconception care guidelines and resources should be made available for their use at every level of healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

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Burnout of Healthcare Workers amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Japanese Cross-Sectional Survey

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18052434 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (5) ◽

pp. 2434

Author(s):

Yoshito Nishimura ◽

Tomoko Miyoshi ◽

Hideharu Hagiya ◽

Yoshinori Kosaki ◽

Fumio Otsuka

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Healthcare Delivery ◽

General Medicine ◽

Maslach Burnout Inventory ◽

University Hospital ◽

Survey Study ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Past

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic has drastically changed how we live and work. Amid the prolonged pandemic, burnout of the frontline healthcare professionals has become a significant concern. We conducted a cross-sectional survey study to provide data about the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and the prevalence of burnout in healthcare professionals in Japan. Healthcare workers in a single Japanese national university hospital participated in the survey, including basic demographics, whether a participant engaged in care of COVID-19 patients in the past 2 weeks and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Of those, 25.4% fully answered the survey; 33.3% were doctors and 63.6% were nurses, and 36.3% engaged in care of COVID-19 patients in the past 2 weeks. Compared to those belonging to General Medicine, those in Emergency Intensive Care Unit were at higher risk of burnout (odds ratio (OR), 6.7; 95% CI, 1.1–42.1; p = 0.031). Of those who engaged in care of COVID-19 patients, 50% reported burnout while 6.1% did not (OR 8.5, 95% CI; 1.3–54.1; p = 0.014). The burnout of healthcare workers is a significant concern amid the pandemic, which needs to be addressed for sustainable healthcare delivery.

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Acceptability of a COVID-19 Vaccine Among Healthcare Workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Frontiers in Medicine ◽

10.3389/fmed.2021.644300 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Ameerah M. N. Qattan ◽

Noor Alshareef ◽

Omar Alsharqi ◽

Naseem Al Rahahleh ◽

Gowokani Chijere Chirwa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Logistic Regression Models ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Chi Squared ◽

Health Related

Objective: This study aims to determine the acceptability of a COVID-19 vaccine among healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia and the factors affecting their intention to accept the vaccine.Methods: The study used data from an online cross-sectional survey that was conducted in Saudi Arabia between 8 December 2020 and 14 December 2020. This study employed bivariate and multivariable regression analyses. The bivariate was used to describe and tabulate the frequency of all the variables, including the sociodemographic characteristics, the risk perception and the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccination and a chi-squared test of independence was calculated. Multivariable logistic regression models were employed to examine and identify the factors associated with an intention to have the COVID-19 vaccination and the factors associated with its immediate acceptance.Results: Of the total of 736 healthcare workers who began the online questionnaire, 673 completed it (a 91.44% completion rate). Among the study participants, 50.52% were willing to have the COVID-19 vaccine, of which 49.71% intended to have the vaccine as soon as it becomes available in the country, while 50.29% would delay until the vaccine's safety is confirmed. Being a male healthcare worker, perceiving a high risk of infection, and believing that the COVID-19 vaccine should be compulsory for all citizens and residents in the country increased the probability of intention to vaccinate against COVID-19 and the probability of accepting the COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible.Conclusion: This study calls for more health-related education among healthcare workers to alleviate any fears that might be associated with the COVID-19 vaccine.

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Exploring the factors associated with the mental health of frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0258475 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (10) ◽

pp. e0258475

Author(s):

Konstantinos Kapetanos ◽

Stella Mazeri ◽

Despo Constantinou ◽

Anna Vavlitou ◽

Marios Karaiskakis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Maslach Burnout Inventory ◽

Sample Population ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Logistic Regression Models ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Frontline Healthcare Workers

Introduction The spread of COVID-19 into a global pandemic has negatively affected the mental health of frontline healthcare-workers. This study is a multi-centre, cross-sectional epidemiological study that uses nationwide data to assess the prevalence of stress, anxiety, depression and burnout among health care workers managing COVID-19 patients in Cyprus. The study also investigates the mechanism behind the manifestation of these pathologies, as to allow for the design of more effective protective measures. Methods Data on the mental health status of the healthcare workers were collected from healthcare professionals from all over the nation, who worked directly with Covid patients. This was done via the use of 64-item, self-administered questionnaire, which was comprised of the DASS21 questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory and a number of original questions. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to investigate factors associated with each of the mental health measures. Results The sample population was comprised of 381 healthcare professionals, out of which 72.7% were nursing staff, 12.9% were medical doctors and 14.4% belonged to other occupations. The prevalence of anxiety, stress and depression among the sample population were 28.6%, 18.11% and 15% respectively. The prevalence of burnout was 12.3%. This was in parallel with several changes in the lives of the healthcare professionals, including; working longer hours, spending time in isolation and being separated from family. Discussion This study indicates that the mental health of a significant portion of the nation’s workforce is compromised and, therefore, highlights the need for an urgent intervention particularly since many countries, including Cyprus, are suffering a second wave of the pandemic. The identified risk factors should offer guidance for employers aiming to protect their frontline healthcare workers from the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Bacteriological Study of Electronic Devices Used by Healthcare Workers at Ruhengeri Referral Hospital

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2020/5872929 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Thierry Habyarimana ◽

Christelle Uwizeye ◽

Emmanuel Munyeshyaka ◽

Cedrick Izere ◽

Joseph Mucumbitsi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Isopropyl Alcohol ◽

Bacterial Colonization ◽

Electronic Devices ◽

Healthcare Delivery ◽

Referral Hospital ◽

Sample Collection ◽

Coagulase Negative Staphylococci ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Bacteriological Study

Electronic devices have become one of the most essential accessories being used in hospitals. Those devices increase the communication and contact making healthcare delivery more efficient and quality service oriented. The study was designed to collect reliable information about the spreading of pathogens through electronic devices especially in sensitive departments. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the bacterial colonization of electronic devices and determine the effectiveness of disinfection with alcohol 70% (w/v) to reduce the bacterial colonization of electronic devices. It was a cross-sectional study where samples were collected by means of moistened swabs in sterile saline solution from 30 electronic devices used by healthcare workers at Ruhengeri Referral Hospital within four different units: maternity, neonathology, intensive care, and theater room. To evaluate the effects of disinfection using 70% isopropyl alcohol, the second sample collection was carried out after decontamination with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Samples were analyzed in the microbiology lab of INES-Ruhengeri. The result showed that Staphylococcus aureus was the most predominant with 22.5%. Lactobacillus and Citrobacter spp. were 12.5%; Pseudomonas aeruginosa, coagulase-negative Staphylococci, and Serratia marcescens were 10%; Escherichia coli was 7.5%; Klebsiella spp. and Providencia spp. were at 5%. The lowest prevalence was 2.5% of Enterobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. The threat of dissemination of isolated microorganisms is valid, since all devices evaluated in this study showed bacterial contamination of species associated to hospital-acquired infections. Special care should be taken when using electronic devices in healthcare settings in addition to disinfection to reduce the risk of transmission of bacterial agents. Further studies should evaluate the antibiotic susceptibility for better conclusive results since all isolated bacteria in this study were subjected to high resistance and were associated with nosocomial infections.

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18 Socio-Demographic Associations of COVID Antibody in Multi-Ethnic Healthcare Workers

Age and Ageing ◽

10.1093/ageing/afab028.18 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 50 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. i1-i6

Author(s):

M Patel ◽

M Nair ◽

E Pirozzoli ◽

M C Cienfuegos ◽

E Aitken

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Antibody Test ◽

Prevalence Rates ◽

Antibody Testing ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Staff Members ◽

Healthcare Settings ◽

General Populations ◽

General Wards

Abstract Introduction Healthcare workers are particularly susceptible to developing COVID-19 owing to close and frequent contact with COVID-19 patients. This study aimed to describe prevalence of SARS-COV-2 antibodies amongst healthcare workers within a hospital trust and examine factors associated with increased prevalence of this antibody. Methods Data was obtained over a 4-week period in 2020 from a cross-sectional prospective survey of healthcare workers serving a multi-ethnic inner-city population who had IgG SARS-COV-2 antibody. Multiple, overlapping sources of notification were implemented to promote the availability of the test. Anonymised socio-demographic data about staff members were cross referenced with data of the antibody tests. Results Of 7,013,6,212 (89%) staff undertook the antibody test during the study period. The overall detection rate of IgG SARS COV-2 antibody was 26%(1584/6212). Univariate analyses reveal that there were no differences in the prevalence rates in terms of gender or age. Compared to white staff members (18%), prevalence of the antibody was significantly greater in Black(38%) and Asian(27%) staff members. The combined prevalence for all BAME staff members was 32%. The prevalence rates of staff in general wards (43%) were significantly higher other areas of the trust. For staff in emergency medicine, intensive care and anaesthetics, prevalence was 23%, whereas for other clinical teams it was 21%. In terms of professional groups, prevalence rates were highest amongst nursing and allied clinical services (28%), followed by doctors (23%), whereas, it was lower for non-clinical staff(19%). Discussion This large multi-ethnic hospital-based study has described the prevalence of recent exposure to SARS-COV-2 infection amongst healthcare workers and determined socio-demographic associations of this prevalence including ethnicity, professional healthcare groups, and geographical areas of work in healthcare settings. The study provides information that may be useful in future COVID studies examining the role of antibody testing both in general populations as well as in healthcare settings.

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Prevalence of Needlestick Injuries among Healthcare Workers in Rizgary Teaching Hospital

Polytechnic Journal ◽

10.25156/ptj.v10n2y2020.pp27-31 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 27-31

Author(s):

Salah H. Ali ◽

Peshtewan T. Majeed ◽

Umed A. Huwiezy

Keyword(s):

Teaching Hospital ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Needlestick Injury ◽

Needlestick Injuries ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Healthcare Settings ◽

Acute Injuries ◽

Global Issue ◽

Data Collections

Needlestick injury in healthcare settings is a global issue. Despite being recognized for many years, needlestick and sharps injuries (NSIs) continue to present a risk of occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens for health care works (HCWs). The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalence of needlestick injuries among HCWs in Rizgary Teaching Hospital and to identify the causes of needlestick injuries. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 76 healthcare workers in Rizgary Teaching hospital; there were a total of 45 males, 31 females. The data collections were administrated using face-to-face interviews to ensure a good response rate and to ensure all questions were answered. Most (52.6%) needlestick injuries occurred in wards with syringe needles being the most common causative tool; surgery ward was the most prevalent site of needlestick injuries occurrence (42.1%). The percentage of acupuncture was high and needles were the most common cause, and most injuries occurred during the re-use of the needles. The study recommends several measures to prevent and reduce acute injuries among HCWs; these measures include health education, behavior change, safer devices, and an educational program to educate these HCWs.

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Job Satisfaction and Quality of Healthcare Delivery: A Cross-Sectional Study in Ogun State Hospitals Management Board, Nigeria

TEXILA INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH ◽

10.21522/tijph.2013.09.04.art001 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Ahmed Babatunde Jimoh

Keyword(s):

Job Satisfaction ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Healthcare Delivery ◽

Quality Of Healthcare ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

State Hospitals ◽

Management Board ◽

Ogun State

Job satisfaction is vitally necessary in the daily life of the workforce, and the essential elements, materials and mechanism that drives job satisfaction demand great attention. At present, the situation of healthcare workers in the employment of Ogun State Hospitals Management Board, Nigeria, seems to be less satisfied with the policies of the healthcare institutions. The study examined job satisfaction and the quality of healthcare delivery in Ogun State Hospitals Management Board (HMB) in Nigeria. This study adopted a cross-sectional design method and was conducted among the healthcare professionals in the study area. A total of 729 copies of a well-structured questionnaire were administered using a multi-staged sampling technique to obtain information from all the available healthcare professionals in the study area. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings of this study revealed that 12.5 % of healthcare professionals in Ogun State Hospitals strongly agreed, 21.9% moderately, and 32% slightly agreed with the level of satisfaction of the leadership and management styles. 25.7% of the healthcare professionals disagreed (7.4% strongly, 4.0% moderately and 14.3% slightly) that they would recommend employment in the study area. The results further revealed that 47.9% of healthcare workers had a low level of job satisfaction that could lead to many factors. In addendum, 43.6% of the respondents believed that the healthcare delivery was not low but with moderate quality. The study concluded that majority of the healthcare workers had low level of job satisfaction. The quality of healthcare delivery is of medium quality. Finally, this study recommends that there should be an establishment of health and life insurance for health workers; improved health infrastructures; conducive work environment and working conditions; job security; regular and continuous training of healthcare professionals; and attractive rewards and compensation.

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Clustering of subpatent infections in households with asymptomatic rapid diagnostic test-positive cases in Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea independent of travel to regions of higher malaria endemicity: a cross-sectional study

Malaria Journal ◽

10.1186/s12936-021-03844-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Dianna E. B. Hergott ◽

Jennifer E. Balkus ◽

Guillermo A. García ◽

Kurtis R. Cruz ◽

Annette M. Seilie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Control Strategies ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Prevalence Odds Ratio ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Travel History ◽

Logistic Regression Models ◽

Bioko Island ◽

Malaria Indicator Survey ◽

Effective Interventions ◽

History Of

Abstract Background Prevalence of falciparum malaria on Bioko Island remains high despite sustained, intensive control. Progress may be hindered by high proportions of subpatent infections that are not detected by rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) but contribute to onward transmission, and by imported infections. Better understanding of the relationship between subpatent infections and RDT-detected infections, and whether this relationship is different from imported versus locally acquired infections, is imperative to better understand the sources of infection and mechanisms of transmission to tailor more effective interventions. Methods Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed on a sub-set of samples from the 2015 Malaria Indicator Survey to identify subpatent infections. Households with RDT(+) individuals were matched 1:4 with households with no RDT(+) individuals. The association between living in a household with an RDT(+) individual and having a subpatent infection was evaluated using multivariate hierarchical logistic regression models with inverse probability weights for selection. To evaluate possible modification of the association by potential importation of the RDT(+) case, the analysis was repeated among strata of matched sets based on the reported eight-week travel history of the RDT(+) individual(s). Results There were 142 subpatent infections detected in 1,400 individuals (10.0%). The prevalence of subpatent infections was higher in households with versus without an RDT(+) individual (15.0 vs 9.1%). The adjusted prevalence odds of subpatent infection were 2.59-fold greater (95% CI: 1.31, 5.09) for those in a household with an RDT(+) individual compared to individuals in a household without RDT(+) individuals. When stratifying by travel history of the RDT(+) individual, the association between subpatent infections and RDT(+) infections was stronger in the strata in which the RDT(+) individual(s) had not recently travelled (adjusted prevalence odds ratio (aPOR) 2.95; 95% CI:1.17, 7.41), and attenuated in the strata in which recent travel was reported (aPOR 1.76; 95% CI: 0.54, 5.67). Conclusions There is clustering of subpatent infections around RDT(+) individual(s) when both imported and local infection are suspected. Future control strategies that aim to treat whole households in which an RDT(+) individual is found may target a substantial portion of infections that would otherwise not be detected.

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