Infection and Drug Resistance (Jul 2022)

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Working Women and Impact of Workplace Restrictions

  • Alishaq M,
  • Nafady-Hego H,
  • Jeremijenko A,
  • Al Ajmi JA,
  • Elgendy M,
  • Al Ansari NAA,
  • Elgendy H,
  • Abou-Samra AB,
  • Butt AA

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 15
pp. 3871 – 3879

Abstract

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Moza Alishaq,1 Hanaa Nafady-Hego,2 Andrew Jeremijenko,3 Jameela Ali Al Ajmi,4 Mohamed Elgendy,5 Naser Ali Asad Al Ansari,4 Hamed Elgendy,4,6 Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra,1,3 Adeel A Butt4,7,8 1Department of Quality and Clinical Transformation, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar; 2Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt; 3Department of Medicine, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar; 4Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar; 5Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Sains of Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia; 6Anesthesia Department, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt; 7Departments of Medicine and Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA; 8Departments of Medicine and Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medical College, Doha, QatarCorrespondence: Adeel A Butt, Department of Medicine, Hamad Medical Corporation, PO Box 3050, Doha, Qatar, Email [email protected]: To determine the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection among female workers who were restricted to working from home compared with those who continued to attend in-person work.Methods: As part of national surveillance program, serum samples for SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing and nasopharyngeal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 PCR were obtained on 1636 female school staff and salon/spa workers who were restricted to work remotely (restricted group) and 1190 female health-care workers who continued in-person work (unrestricted group).Results: Seropositivity rate was 5.1% among the restricted and 22.7% among the unrestricted group (P < 0.0001). Presence of symptoms at baseline (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.88; 95% CI 2.09– 3.97), contact with a confirmed case (aOR 2.34; 95% CI 1.37– 3.98), and unrestricted work type (aOR 4.71; 95% CI 3.24– 6.86) were associated with a higher risk of infection, while increasing age was associated with a lower risk of infection.Conclusion: Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection as determined by seropositivity was higher among women who were not subject to workplace restrictions.Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, work-place restrictions, women, infections, Qatar

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