SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence among Healthcare, First Response, and Public Safety Personnel, Detroit Metropolitan Area, Michigan, USA, May-June 2020

Emerg Infect Dis. 2020 Dec;26(12):2863-2871. doi: 10.3201/eid2612.203764. Epub 2020 Sep 21.

Abstract

To estimate seroprevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among healthcare, first response, and public safety personnel, antibody testing was conducted in emergency medical service agencies and 27 hospitals in the Detroit, Michigan, USA, metropolitan area during May-June 2020. Of 16,403 participants, 6.9% had SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. In adjusted analyses, seropositivity was associated with exposure to SARS-CoV-2-positive household members (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 6.18, 95% CI 4.81-7.93) and working within 15 km of Detroit (aOR 5.60, 95% CI 3.98-7.89). Nurse assistants (aOR 1.88, 95% CI 1.24-2.83) and nurses (aOR 1.52, 95% CI 1.18-1.95) had higher likelihood of seropositivity than physicians. Working in a hospital emergency department increased the likelihood of seropositivity (aOR 1.16, 95% CI 1.002-1.35). Consistently using N95 respirators (aOR 0.83, 95% CI 0.72-0.95) and surgical facemasks (aOR 0.86, 95% CI 0.75-0.98) decreased the likelihood of seropositivity.

Keywords: 2019 novel coronavirus disease; COVID-19; Detroit; SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus disease; emergency responders; hospitals; personal protective equipment; public safety; seroepidemiologic studies; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; viruses; zoonoses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • COVID-19 / blood
  • COVID-19 / epidemiology*
  • COVID-19 / transmission
  • COVID-19 Serological Testing
  • Emergency Responders / statistics & numerical data*
  • Female
  • Health Personnel / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Michigan / epidemiology
  • Middle Aged
  • Pandemics / statistics & numerical data
  • Personal Protective Equipment / statistics & numerical data*
  • SARS-CoV-2 / isolation & purification
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Young Adult