International Journal of Infectious Diseases (Dec 2021)

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

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

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 113
pp. 184 – 189

Abstract

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Background: Understanding SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among health care personnel is important to explore risk factors for transmission, develop elimination strategies and form a view on the necessity and frequency of surveillance in the future. Methods: We enrolled 4927 health care personnel working in pediatric units at 32 hospitals from 7 different regions of Turkey in a study to determine SARS Co-V-2 seroprevalence after the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. A point of care serologic lateral flow rapid test kit for immunoglobulin (Ig)M/IgG was used. Seroprevalence and its association with demographic characteristics and possible risk factors were analyzed. Results: SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity prevalence in health care personnel tested was 6.1%. Seropositivity was more common among those who did not universally wear protective masks (10.6% vs 6.1%). Having a COVID-19-positive co-worker increased the likelihood of infection. The least and the most experienced personnel were more likely to be infected. Most of the seropositive health care personnel (68.0%) did not suspect that they had previously had COVID-19. Conclusions: Health surveillance for health care personnel involving routine point-of-care nucleic acid testing and monitoring personal protective equipment adherence are suggested as important strategies to protect health care personnel from COVID-19 and reduce nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

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