Predictors of seropositivity to SARS-CoV-2 among employees at a large urban medical center

Deborah Kupferwasser; Evelyn A Flores; Prudencio Merino; Donna Phan Tran; Honghu Liu; Yilan Huang; Michael Bolaris; Megan H Nguyen; Mildred Gonzales; Wellington Da Silva; Leslie Astorga-Cook; Angel Abueg; Holli Mason; Loren G Miller

doi:10.1186/s12889-024-20274-6

Predictors of seropositivity to SARS-CoV-2 among employees at a large urban medical center

BMC Public Health. 2024 Oct 9;24(1):2754. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-20274-6.

Authors

Deborah Kupferwasser^{1

2}, Evelyn A Flores³, Prudencio Merino³, Donna Phan Tran³, Honghu Liu^{4

5

6}, Yilan Huang^{4

5}, Michael Bolaris³, Megan H Nguyen⁷, Mildred Gonzales⁸, Wellington Da Silva⁹, Leslie Astorga-Cook⁹, Angel Abueg³, Holli Mason³, Loren G Miller^{3

6}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Infectious Diseases, The Lundquist Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA. dkupferwasser@lundquist.org.
² Lundquist Institute of Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, United States, 1124 W. Carson St, Torrance, CA, 90502, USA. dkupferwasser@lundquist.org.
³ Division of Infectious Diseases, The Lundquist Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA.
⁴ Section of Public and Population Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁵ Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁶ Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁷ School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
⁸ Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁹ Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Abstract

Background: Before SARS-CoV-2 vaccination availability, medical center employees were at high risk of COVID-19. However, risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection in medical center employees, both healthcare and non-healthcare workers, are poorly understood.

Methods: From September-December 2020, free IgG antibody testing was offered to all employees at a large urban medical center. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire on work and non-work related risk factors for COVID-19 infection.

Results: SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity was found in 4.7%. Seropositivity was associated with close contact with COVID-19 cases with or without the use of adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), (OR 3.1 [95% CI 1.4-6.9] and OR 4.7 [95% CI 2.0-11.0] respectively), never wearing a mask outside of work (OR 10.1 [95% CI 1.9-57]), and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander race (OR 6.3 95% CI (1.6-25)].

Conclusions: Among workers in a large urban medical center, SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity was associated with work-related COVID-19 close contacts and low mask use outside of work, suggesting that non-workplace close contacts are also relevant routes of COVID-19 spread among healthcare workers.

Keywords: Health system workforce; SARS-CoV-2; Seropositivity.

MeSH terms

Adult
Antibodies, Viral / blood
COVID-19* / epidemiology
Female
Health Personnel / statistics & numerical data
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Personal Protective Equipment / statistics & numerical data
Risk Factors
SARS-CoV-2* / immunology
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Surveys and Questionnaires
Young Adult

Substances

Antibodies, Viral

Grants and funding

18CR-22614-01/Merck