학술논문
The burden of SARS-CoV-2 among healthcare workers across 16 hospitals of Kashmir, India—A seroepidemiological study.
Document Type
Article
Author
Haq, Inaamul; Qurieshi, Mariya Amin; Khan, Muhammad Salim; Majid, Sabhiya; Bhat, Arif Akbar; Kousar, Rafiya; Chowdri, Iqra Nisar; Qazi, Tanzeela Bashir; Lone, Abdul Aziz; Sabah, Iram; Kawoosa, Misbah Ferooz; Nabi, Shahroz; Sumji, Ishtiyaq Ahmad; Ayoub, Shifana; Khan, Mehvish Afzal; Asma, Anjum; Ismail, Shaista
Source
Subject
*MEDICAL personnel
*SARS-CoV-2
*COVID-19 pandemic
*SERODIAGNOSIS
*ANTIBODY titer
*COVID-19
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Language
ISSN
1932-6203
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has greatly affected healthcare workers because of the high risk of getting infected. The present cross-sectional study measured SARS-CoV-2 antibody in healthcare workers of Kashmir, India. Methods: Serological testing to detect antibodies against nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV-2 was performed in 2003 healthcare workers who voluntarily participated in the study. Results: We report relatively high seropositivity of 26.8% (95% CI 24.8–28.8) for SARS-CoV-2in healthcare workers, nine months after the first case was detected in Kashmir. Most of the healthcare workers (71.7%) attributed infection to the workplace environment. Among healthcare workers who neither reported any prior symptom nor were they ever tested for infection by nasopharyngeal swab test, 25.5% were seropositive. Conclusion: We advocate interval testing by nasopharyngeal swab test of all healthcare workers regardless of symptoms to limit the transmission of infection within healthcare settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]