Infection Control Measures and Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG among 4,554 University Hospital Employees, Munich, Germany

• Published in: Emerging infectious diseases Vol. 28; no. 3; pp. 572 - 581
• Main Authors: Erber, Johanna, Kappler, Verena, Haller, Bernhard, Mijočević, Hrvoje, Galhoz, Ana, Prazeres da Costa, Clarissa, Gebhardt, Friedemann, Graf, Natalia, Hoffmann, Dieter, Thaler, Markus, Lorenz, Elke, Roggendorf, Hedwig, Kohlmayer, Florian, Henkel, Andreas, Menden, Michael P, Ruland, Jürgen, Spinner, Christoph D, Protzer, Ulrike, Knolle, Percy, Lingor, Paul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases 01-03-2022; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subjects: coronavirus disease; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Cross-Sectional Studies; Disease control; Employees; Epidemiology; Germany - epidemiology; Health aspects; Health Personnel; Hospitals, University; Humans; Immunoglobulin G; Infection Control; Infection Control Measures and Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG among 4,554 University Hospital Employees, Munich, Germany; Masks; Medical personnel; Methods; Nurses; Pandemics; Personal protective equipment; Personnel, Hospital; Physicians; Prevalence; Protective equipment; Safety and security measures; SARS-CoV-2; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Teaching hospitals; viruses; Germany; Munich; viruses; strategies; university hospital employees; IgG; seroprevalence; zoonoses; coronaviruses; respiratory infections; COVID-19; infection control measures; SARS-CoV-2; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; healthcare workers; antibodies; coronavirus disease; Germany
• ISSN: 1080-6040; 1080-6059
• DOI: 10.3201/eid2803.204436

Hospital staff are at high risk for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in hospital staff at the University Hospital rechts der Isar in Munich, Germany, and identify modulating factors. Overall seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2-IgG in 4,554 participants was 2.4%. Staff engaged in direct patient care, including those working in COVID-19 units, had a similar probability of being seropositive as non-patient-facing staff. Increased probability of infection was observed in staff reporting interactions with SARS-CoV-2‒infected coworkers or private contacts or exposure to COVID-19 patients without appropriate personal protective equipment. Analysis of spatiotemporal trajectories identified that distinct hotspots for SARS-CoV-2‒positive staff and patients only partially overlap. Patient-facing work in a healthcare facility during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic might be safe as long as adequate personal protective equipment is used and infection prevention practices are followed inside and outside the hospital.