SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity among pediatric health care personnel just after the first peak of pandemic: A nationwide surveillance

Oygar, Pembe Derin; Büyükçam, Ayşe; Bal, Zümrüt Şahbudak; Dalgıç, Nazan; Bozdemir, Şefika Elmas; Karbuz, Adem; Çetin, Benhur Şirvan; Kara, Yalçın; Çetin, Ceren; Hatipoğlu, Nevin; Uygun, Hatice; Aygün, Fatma Deniz; Törün, Selda Hançerli; Okur, Dicle Şener; Çiftdoğan, Dilek Yılmaz; Kara, Tuğçe Tural; Yahşi, Aysun; Özer, Arife; Demir, Sevliya Öcal; Akkoç, Gülşen; Turan, Cansu; Salı, Enes; Şen, Semra; Erdeniz, Emine Hafize; Kara, Soner Sertan; Emiroğlu, Melike; Erat, Tuğba; Aktürk, Hacer; Gürlevik, Sibel Laçinel; Sütçü, Murat; Aydın, Zeynep Gökçe Gayretli; Atikan, Başak Yıldız; Yeşil, Edanur; Güner, Gizem; Çelebi, Emel; Efe, Kadir; İşançlı, Didem Kızmaz; Durmuş, Habibe Selver; Tekeli, Seher; Karaaslan, Ayşe; Bülbül, Lida; Almış, Habip; Kaba, Özge; Keleş, Yıldız Ekemen; Yazıcıoğlu, Bahadır; Oğuz, Şerife Bahtiyar; Ovalı, Hüsnü Fahri; Doğan, Hazal Helin; Çelebi, Solmaz; Çakır, Deniz; Karasulu, Burcugül; Alkan, Gülsüm; Yenidoğan, İrem; Gül, Doruk; Küçükalioğlu, Burcu Parıltan; Avcu, Gülhadiye; Kukul, Musa Gürel; Bilen, Melis; Yaşar, Belma; Üstün, Tuğba; Kılıç, Ömer; Akın, Yasemin; Cebeci, Sinem Oral; Bucak, Ibrahim Hakan; Yanartaş, Mehpare Sarı; Şahin, Aslıhan; Arslanoğlu, Sertaç; Elevli, Murat; Çoban, Rabia; Öz, Şadiye Kübra Tüter; Hatipoğlu, Halil; Erkum, İlyas Tolga; Turgut, Mehmet; Demirbuğa, Asuman; Özçelik, Taha; Çiftçi, Diclehan; Sarı, Emine Ergül; Akkuş, Gökhan; Hatipoğlu, Sadık Sami; Dinleyici, Ener Çağrı; Hacımustafaoğlu, Mustafa; Özkınay, Ferda; Kurugöl, Zafer; Cengiz, Ali Bülent; Somer, Ayper; Tezer, Hasan; Kara, Ateş

Background COVID-19 pandemic affected every single person on earth one way or the other. The healthcare personnel were no exception, their responsibilities as well as their risks being immense. Methods 4927 healthcare personnel all working in pediatric units at 32 hospitals from seven different regions of Turkey enrolled to the study to determine the seroprevalence of SARS Co-V-2 after the first peak wave. Point of care serologic lateral flow rapid test kit for IgM/IgG was used (Ecotest CE Assure Tech. Co. Ltd.). Seroprevalence and its association with demographic characteristics and possible risk factors were analyzed. Results Nearly 6.1% of healthcare personnel were found to be seropositive for SARS Co-V- 2. Seropositivity was more common among those who did not universally wear protective masks (10.6% vs 6.1%). Having a COVID-19 co-worker increased the likelihood of infection. The least and the most experienced personnel affected more. Most of the seropositive healthcare personnel (68%) did not have any suspicion that they had COVID-19 previously. Conclusions Health surveillance for healthcare personnel involving routine point-of-care nucleic acid testing as well as monitoring PPE adherence would be important strategies to protect healthcare personnel from COVID-19 and to reduce nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 transmission.