COVID-19 in otolaryngologists: a cross-sectional multicenter study()

Scapini, Fabrício; Neto, José Faibes Lubianca; Angeli, Roberto Dihl; Krumenauer, Rita Carolina Pozzer; Santanna, Ingrid Wendland; Oppermann, Luciana Pimentel; Junior, Nedio Atolini; Meotti, Camila Degen; Elias, Caroline Catherine Lacerda; Medeiros, Lilcia Helena de Britto; Roithmann, Renato; Castagno, Clarissa Delpizzo; de Carli, Adriana; Granzotto, Eduardo Homrich; Steffen, Nedio; Maahs, Gerson Schulz

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in otorhinolaryngologists in southern Brazil, its relationship to demographic data, professional practice and reported symptoms of COVID-19, and compare it with official data on other health-care workers of the state and the general population in the same period. METHODS: In this cross-sectional multicenter study, otolaryngologists actively practicing officially registered in Rio Grande do Sul were screened for IgM and IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. A questionnaire was also applied. RESULTS: We screened 358 (80.1%) of 447 actively practicing otolaryngologists (195 [54.5%] male; mean [SD] age, 47.77 [13.57] years; range, 26–84 years). Twenty-three were positive for IgM and/or IgG (6.4%). This result was significantly associated with reports of infected household contacts (19/315 negatives and 8/23 positives; pp < 0.001). From 23 seropositive participants, 14 were asymptomatic (60.9%; pp < 0.001). There were no significant associations between seroconversion and age, sex, number of patient appointments and surgical procedures, workplace (hospital or private practice), patients with or without respiratory symptoms, or level of personal protective equipment used. The rate of COVID-19 in all health-care workers in the state was 7.69% at the end of the same period. Data from state government seroprevalence was 5.26 (risk ratio [RR]; 95% CI 3.27–8.45) and 4.66 (RR; 95% CI 2.93–7.43) times higher in otolaryngologists than in the general population in August and September, respectively. CONCLUSION: sOtolaryngologists had a higher seroconversion rate than the general population. Using personal protective equipment, the level of occupational exposure did not result in higher rates of infection than other health-care workers, but the presence of infected household contacts was associated with higher rates of seroconversion.