Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibody among healthcare workers in a university hospital in Mallorca, Spain, during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic

Rodriguez, Adrian; Arrizabalaga, Maria; Fernandez-Baca, Victoria; Lainez, Maria Pilar; Al Nakeeb, Zaid; Garcia, Jose Daniel; Payeras, Antoni

Objective To estimate the SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence in HCWs at a secondary hospital in Mallorca, Spain. Methods All HCWs received an e-mail inviting them to take part in the study. Participants had a nasopharyngeal swab test performed for reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and serological tests to detect SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (primary study). Additionally, they were invited to complete a questionnaire on their exposure to COVID-19 individuals and their COVID-19-related symptoms (secondary study). Prevalence of antibodies (IgG, IgM or both) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Results Seventy nine percent of the hospitalʼs HCWs (N = 2210) took part in the primary study. Antibodies were detected in 61 participants, a prevalence of 2.8% (95% CI: 2.5-3.1). The prevalence was slightly higher in nurses (3.4%), registrars (3.9%), and wardens (3.4%). Thirty nine percent of the primary study participants completed the secondary study questionnaire. Those with positive antibody test results had been in closer contact with COVID-19 individuals (60% vs 92%; p < 0.001). Conclusion After the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain, the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in our secondary hospital HCWs was around 2.8%, which is slightly higher than the seroprevalence in the general population in our region. We believe it would be advisable to perform further seroprevalence studies during the second wave of the epidemic.