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SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence among Health Care Workers—A Voluntary Screening Study in a Regional Medical Center in Southern Germany

Author

Listed:
  • Katharina Müller

    (Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937 Munich, Germany
    German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, 80937 Munich, Germany
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Philipp Girl

    (Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937 Munich, Germany
    German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, 80937 Munich, Germany
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Michaela Ruhnke

    (Praxis Dr. J. Borde, Gesundheitszentrum Oberkirch, 77704 Oberkirch, Germany)

  • Mareike Spranger

    (Praxis Dr. J. Borde, Gesundheitszentrum Oberkirch, 77704 Oberkirch, Germany)

  • Klaus Kaier

    (Institute of Medical Biometry and Statistics, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center, University of Freiburg, 79098 Freiburg, Germany)

  • Heiner von Buttlar

    (Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937 Munich, Germany
    German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, 80937 Munich, Germany)

  • Gerhard Dobler

    (Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937 Munich, Germany
    German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, 80937 Munich, Germany)

  • Johannes P. Borde

    (Praxis Dr. J. Borde, Gesundheitszentrum Oberkirch, 77704 Oberkirch, Germany
    Department of Medicine II, Division of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center, University of Freiburg, 79098 Freiburg, Germany)

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is associated with a potentially severe clinical manifestation, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and currently poses a worldwide challenge. Health care workers (HCWs) are at the forefront of any health care system and thus especially at risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection due to their potentially frequent and close contact with patients suffering from COVID-19. Serum samples from 198 HCWs with direct patient contact of a regional medical center and several outpatient facilities were collected during the early phase of the pandemic (April 2020) and tested for SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies. Commercially available IgA- and IgG-specific ELISAs were used as screening technique, followed by an in-house neutralization assay for confirmation. Neutralizing SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies were detected in seven of 198 (3.5%) tested HCWs. There was no significant difference in seroprevalence between the regional medical center (3.4%) and the outpatient institution (5%). The overall seroprevalence of neutralizing SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies in HCWs in both a large regional medical center and a small outpatient institution was low (3.5%) at the beginning of April 2020. The findings may indicate that the timely implemented preventive measures (strict hygiene protocols, personal protective equipment) were effective to protect from transmission of an airborne virus when only limited information on the pathogen was available.

Suggested Citation

  • Katharina Müller & Philipp Girl & Michaela Ruhnke & Mareike Spranger & Klaus Kaier & Heiner von Buttlar & Gerhard Dobler & Johannes P. Borde, 2021. "SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence among Health Care Workers—A Voluntary Screening Study in a Regional Medical Center in Southern Germany," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-10, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:8:p:3910-:d:532268
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Roman Wölfel & Victor M. Corman & Wolfgang Guggemos & Michael Seilmaier & Sabine Zange & Marcel A. Müller & Daniela Niemeyer & Terry C. Jones & Patrick Vollmar & Camilla Rothe & Michael Hoelscher & To, 2020. "Author Correction: Virological assessment of hospitalized patients with COVID-2019," Nature, Nature, vol. 588(7839), pages 35-35, December.
    2. Ann-Sofie Rudberg & Sebastian Havervall & Anna Månberg & August Jernbom Falk & Katherina Aguilera & Henry Ng & Lena Gabrielsson & Ann-Christin Salomonsson & Leo Hanke & Ben Murrell & Gerald McInerney , 2020. "SARS-CoV-2 exposure, symptoms and seroprevalence in healthcare workers in Sweden," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-8, December.
    3. Roman Wölfel & Victor M. Corman & Wolfgang Guggemos & Michael Seilmaier & Sabine Zange & Marcel A. Müller & Daniela Niemeyer & Terry C. Jones & Patrick Vollmar & Camilla Rothe & Michael Hoelscher & To, 2020. "Virological assessment of hospitalized patients with COVID-2019," Nature, Nature, vol. 581(7809), pages 465-469, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Anke Hildebrandt & Oktay Hökelekli & Lutz Uflacker & Henrik Rudolf & Michael Paulussen & Sören G. Gatermann, 2022. "Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Employees of Three Hospitals of a Secondary Care Hospital Network in Germany and an Associated Fire Brigade: Results of a Repeated Cross-Sectional Surveillan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-15, February.
    2. Lionel Larribère & Jelizaveta Gordejeva & Lisa Kuhnhenn & Maximilian Kurscheidt & Monika Pobiruchin & Dilyana Vladimirova & Maria Martin & Markus Roser & Wendelin Schramm & Uwe M. Martens & Tatjana Ei, 2021. "Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 Infection among Healthcare Workers of a German COVID-19 Treatment Center," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-11, July.

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