Covid-19 Sero-Prevalence and Risk Factors in a Sample of Community Health Center Employees in New York State.

Nolon, Anne Kauffman; Ryvicker, Miriam; Glassberg, Hope; Dubois, Allison; Oluwasanmi, Oluwatomi; Steier, Jessica

OBJECTIVE To document Covid-19 sero-prevalence, prior testing, symptom experiences, and risk factors in a sample of community health center (CHC) workers. METHODS Descriptive statistics and log-binomial regression were used to analyze an electronic employee survey linked with Covid-19 antibody results. The sample included 378 employees who completed the survey; 325 had complete lab data. RESULTS The sero-positivity rate was 15.4%. One third of sero-positive participants had no previous Covid-19 symptoms or were unsure. Working on-site only and/or with direct patient contact was not associated with sero-positivity. Employees in their 20 s were more likely to test positive than employees ages 50+, controlling for sex, race, and region (PR = 2.96; p < .05). CONCLUSIONS With CHCs central to Covid-19 response and vaccination efforts, public health messaging should remind CHC workers, especially younger employees, of their risks of community-based exposure.