Cross Sectional Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Health Care Workers in Paediatric Facilities in Eight Countries

Goldblatt, David; Johnson, Marina; Falup-Pecurariu, Oana; Ivaskeviciene, Inga; Spoulou, Vana; Tamm, Eda; Wagner, Michael; Zar, Heather J.; Bleotu, Laura; Ivaskevicius, Rimvydas; Papadatou, Ioanna; Jõgi, Piia; Lischka, Julia; Franckling-Smith, Zoe; Isarova, Dana; Grandjean, Louis; Zavadska, Dace

BACKGROUND: Healthcare workers (HCWs) have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 which may in part be driven by nosocomial exposure. If HCW exposure is predominantly nosocomial, HCWs in paediatric facilities, where few patients are admitted with COVID-19, may lack antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and be at increased risk during the current resurgence. AIMS: To compare SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence amongst HCWs in paediatric facilities in seven European countries and South Africa (n=8). METHODS: All categories of paediatric HCWs were invited to participate in the study irrespective of previous symptoms. A single blood sample was taken and data about previous symptoms documented. Serum was shipped to a central laboratory in London where IgG to SARS-CoV-2 was measured. FINDINGS: 4114 HCWs were recruited between 1(st) May and mid-July 2020. The overall seroprevalence range was 0-16·93%. The highest seroprevalence was in London (16.93%) followed by that in Cape Town, South Africa (10.36%). There were no positive HCWs in the Austrian, Estonian and Latvian cohorts, 2/300 positive in Lithuania (0·66%, 0·18-2.4), 1/124 (0·81%, 0·14-4.3) in Romania, and 1/76 (1·3%, 0·23-7·0) in Greece. CONCLUSION: The overall seroprevalence amongst paediatric HCWs is similar to their national populations and linked to national COVID-19 burden. Staff working in paediatric facilities in low burden countries have very low rates of seroprevalence and thus are likely to be susceptible to COVID-19. Their susceptibility to infection may impact on the ability to provide care in the face of increasing COVID-19 disease and highlights the need for appropriate preventative strategies in paediatric health care settings.