Clinical characteristics and humoral immune response in Healthcare Workers with COVID-19 in a Teaching Hospital in Belgium

Vandercam, G.; Simon, A.; Scohy, A.; Belkhir, L.; Kabamba, B.; Rodriguez.Villalobos, H.; Yombi, J.C.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at high risk of acquiring COVID-19 and could play a role in nosocomial transmission. Since February 4, 2020, Belgian Health authorities reported more than 90568 cases, of which 8.3% were HCWs. Data on clinical characteristics, sources of infection and humoral immune response of HCWs with COVID-19 remain scarce. AIM: Analyse the clinical characteristics, humoral immune response, sources of contamination, and outcomes among HCWs with COVID-19. METHODS: This retrospective study includes 176 HCWs with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in a teaching hospital in Belgium. Between March 1(st), and May 31(th) 2020, all HCWs with symptoms suspect of COVID-19 were tested through a RT-PCR on a nasopharyngeal swab. Serological testing was performed between 55 and 137 days after the onset of symptoms. FINDINGS: Median age was 40.8 years and 75% were female. Median delay between onset of symptoms and diagnosis was 4.39 days. Most frequent symptoms were cough and headache (75% respectively). Fever accounted for 68.7%. Most represented professions were nurses (42%). HCWs were mainly infected by patient contact (32.9%). 7.6% required hospitalization and 1.7% were admitted in intensive care unit. Unfortunately, one HCW died (0.5 %). Total antibodies were positive in 109/126 (86.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical presentation of COVID-19 in HCWs does not differ from the general population. However outcomes were more favourable with a mortality rate lower than that reported in Belgian COVID-19 patients in general (16%). The main source of infection was the hospital settings. Our positive antibodies rate was high but lower than what was reported.