ArticleThe Journal of infection2020
Snapshot PCR surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in hospital staff in England.
Article in The Journal of infection, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 34 citations in OpenAlex.
- Assessing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infectivity by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Reviews in medical virology · 2022Pooled it
- The role of routine SARS-CoV-2 screening of healthcare-workers in acute care hospitals in 2020: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC infectious diseases · 2022Pooled it
- Systematic review of productivity loss among healthcare workers due to Covid-19.The International journal of health planning and management · 2022Pooled it
- Pooled it
- The effect of ivermectin on the viral load and culture viability in early treatment of nonhospitalized patients with mild COVID-19 - a double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial.International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases · 2022Trial
- Studies of prevalence: how a basic epidemiology concept has gained recognition in the COVID-19 pandemic.BMJ open · 2022Review
- Nationwide Harmonization Effort for Semi-Quantitative Reporting of SARS-CoV-2 PCR Test Results in Belgium.Viruses · 2022Article
- Quantifying the contribution of pathways of nosocomial acquisition of COVID-19 in English hospitals.International journal of epidemiology · 2022Article
- The utilization of HCWs surveillance as an early warning of COVID-19 epidemic activity in the community.The Journal of infection · 2022Article
- Formal and informal science advice in emergencies: COVID-19 in the UK.Interface focus · 2021Review
- Evaluation of Screening Tests in Bavarian Healthcare Facilities during the Second Wave of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- A Less Restrictive Policy for Liver Transplantation in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Positive Patients, Based Upon Cycle Threshold Values.Transplantation proceedings · 2021Article
- High-risk exposure without personal protective equipment and infection with SARS-CoV-2 in-hospital workers - The CoV-CONTACT cohort.The Journal of infection · 2021Article
- Prevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in Irish hospital healthcare workers.Epidemiology and infection · 2021Article
- Article
- SARS-CoV-2 Testing of 11,884 Healthcare Workers at an Acute NHS Hospital Trust in England: A Retrospective Analysis.Frontiers in medicine · 2021Article
- Prevalence of Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 Following Natural Infection and Vaccination in Irish Hospital Healthcare Workers: Changing Epidemiology as the Pandemic Progresses.Frontiers in medicine · 2021Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
- Commented on by
- Commented on by
Authors and funding
23 authors at 8 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundSignificant nosocomial transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has been demonstrated. Understanding the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 carriage amongst HCWs at work is necessary to inform the development of HCW screening programmes to control nosocomial spread.
methodsCross-sectional 'snapshot' survey from April-May 2020; HCWs recruited from six UK hospitals. Participants self-completed a health questionnaire and underwent a combined viral nose and throat swab, tested by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for SARS-CoV-2 with viral culture on majority of positive samples.
findingsPoint prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 carriage across the sites was 2.0% (23/1152 participants), median cycle threshold value 35.70 (IQR:32.42-37.57). 17 were previously symptomatic, two currently symptomatic (isolated anosmia and sore throat); the remainder declared no prior or current symptoms. Symptoms in the past month were associated with threefold increased odds of testing positive (aOR 3.46, 95%CI 1.38-8.67; p = 0.008). SARS-CoV-2 virus was isolated from only one (5%) of nineteen cultured samples. A large proportion (39%) of participants reported symptoms in the past month.
interpretationThe point-prevalence is similar to previous estimates for HCWs in April 2020, though a magnitude higher than in the general population. Based upon interpretation of symptom history and testing results including viral culture, the majority of those testing positive were unlikely to be infectious at time of sampling. Development of screening programmes must balance the potential to identify additional cases based upon likely prevalence, expanding the symptoms list to encourage HCW testing, with resource implications and risks of excluding those unlikely to be infectious with positive tests.
fundingPublic Health England.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.