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Reviews of "Seroprevalence of SARS-COV-2 Antibodies in Scottish Healthcare Workers"

Reviewers: T Bruckner (UC Irvine) | 📒📒📒◻️◻️ • T Vilibić-Čavlek, Vladimir Savic (Croatian Institute) | 📗📗📗📗◻️ | P Galanis (National and Kapodistrian University) | 📒📒📒◻️◻️ • I Cockburn (Australian National University) | 📒📒📒◻️◻️ | T Roederer (Epicentre) | 📒📒📒◻️◻️

Published onDec 17, 2020
Reviews of "Seroprevalence of SARS-COV-2 Antibodies in Scottish Healthcare Workers"
key-enterThis Pub is a Review of
Seroprevalence of SARS-COV-2 Antibodies in Scottish Healthcare Workers
Description

Abstract Introduction Healthcare workers are believed to be at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The extent of that increased risk compared to the general population and the groups most at risk have not been extensively studied.Methods A prospective observational study of health and social care workers in NHS Tayside (Scotland, UK) from May to September 2020. The Siemens SARS-CoV-2 total antibody assay was used to establish seroprevalence in this cohort. Patients provided clinical information including demographics and workplace information. Controls, matched for age and sex to the general Tayside population, were studied for comparison.Results A total of 2062 health and social care workers were recruited for this study. The participants were predominantly female (81.7%) and 95.2% were white. 299 healthcare workers had a positive antibody test (14.5%). 11 out of 231 control sera tested positive (4.8%). Healthcare workers therefore had an increased likelihood of a positive test (odds ratio 3.4 95% CI 1.85-6.16, p<0.0001). Dentists, healthcare assistants and porters were the job roles most likely to test positive. Those working in front-line roles with COVID-19 patients were more likely to test positive (17.4% vs. 13.4%, p=0.02). 97.1% of patients who had previously tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR had positive antibodies, compared to 11.8% of individuals with a symptomatic illness who had tested negative. Anosmia was the symptom most associated with the presence of detectable antibodies.Conclusion In this study, healthcare workers were three times more likely to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 than the general population. The seroprevalence data in different populations identified in this study will be useful to protect healthcare staff during future waves of the pandemic.

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Summary of Reviews: This study reports a greater seroprevalence for antibodies among healthcare workers compared to the general population. Reviewers mentioned concerns over selection of the general population, response bias, and adjusting for potential cross-reactivity with other coronaviruses.

Reviewer 1 (Tim Bruckner) | 📒📒📒◻️◻️

Reviewer 2 (Tatjana Vilibić-Čavlek, Vladimir Savic) | 📗📗📗📗◻️

Reviewer 3 (Petros Galanis) | 📒📒📒◻️◻️

Reviewer 4 (Ian Cockburn) | 📒📒📒◻️◻️

Reviewer 5 (Thomas Roederer) | 📒📒📒◻️◻️

RR:C19 Strength of Evidence Scale Key

📕 ◻️◻️◻️◻️ = Misleading

📙📙 ◻️◻️◻️ = Not Informative

📒📒📒 ◻️◻️ = Potentially Informative

📗📗📗📗◻️ = Reliable

📘📘📘📘📘 = Strong

To read the reviews, click the links below.

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