- Seroprevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and predictors of seropositivity among employees of a teaching hospital in New Delhi, India
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Pragya Sharma, Rohit Chawla, Ritika Bakshi, Sonal Saxena, Saurav Basu, Pradeep Kumar Bharti, Meera Dhuria, S. K. Singh, Panna Lal
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Osong Public Health Res Perspect. 2021;12(2):88-95. Published online April 29, 2021
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.24171/j.phrp.2021.12.2.06
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 Abstract
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- Objectives
Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at a high risk of contracting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) due to the increased likelihood of clinical exposure during patient management. The study objective was to determine the seroprevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and its predictors among hospital employees.
Methods
The cross-sectional study was conducted at a teaching hospital from August 2020 to September 2020 among 1,401 employees, including 1,217 HCWs, in New Delhi, India. The serum samples were examined for immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 using the COVID Kavach-Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG Antibody Detection enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Data were collected electronically using the EpiCollect mobile platform. A p<0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance.
Results
A total of 169 participants (12.1%) had detectable IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. The highest seropositivity rate was observed in the administrative staff (20.1%), while it was lowest among medical doctors (5.5%, p<0.001). Male sex and ever having lived in a containment zone were independently associated with past infection with SARS-CoV-2.
Conclusion
The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in health workers may be lower than in the general population in New Delhi. However, non-pharmaceutical interventions were not associated with a reduction in the risk of acquisition of SARS-CoV-2.
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