Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32917840›Full record

ArticleThorax2020

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and asymptomatic viral carriage in healthcare workers: a cross-sectional study.

Adrian Shields, Sian E Faustini, Marisol Perez-Toledo, Sian Jossi, Erin Aldera, Joel D Allen, Saly Al-Taei, Claire Backhouse, Andrew Bosworth, Lyndsey A Dunbar and 24 more

Open access · hybridAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Thorax, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 153 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
153citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
9.9field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

153 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 297 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Article
  7. Seroprevalence of SARS CoV 2 IgG in pandemic frontline healthcare workers.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2025
    Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Socioeconomic and Demographic Risk Factors for SARS-CoV-2 Seropositivity Among Healthcare Workers in a UK Hospital: A Prospective Cohort Study.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2024
    Observational
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Analysis of the prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in groups of medical and non-medical professions.International journal of occupational medicine and environmental health · 2023
    Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article

93 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

34 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.

Adrian ShieldsClinical Immunology Service, University of Birmingham College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Birmingham, UK.
Sian E FaustiniClinical Immunology Service, University of Birmingham College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Birmingham, UK.
Marisol Perez-ToledoInstitute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Sian JossiInstitute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Erin AlderaInstitute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Joel D AllenSchool of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Saly Al-TaeiClinical Immunology Service, University of Birmingham College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Birmingham, UK.
Claire BackhouseClinical Immunology Service, University of Birmingham College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Birmingham, UK.
Andrew BosworthUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK.
Lyndsey A DunbarClinical Immunology Service, University of Birmingham College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Birmingham, UK.
Daniel EbanksClinical Immunology Service, University of Birmingham College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Birmingham, UK.
Beena EmmanuelClinical Immunology Service, University of Birmingham College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Birmingham, UK.
Mark GarveyUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK.
Joanna GrayUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK.
I Michael KiddPublic Health England Midlands and East Region, Birmingham, UK.
Golaleh McGinnellUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK.
Dee E McLoughlinInstitute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Gabriella MorleyInstitute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Joanna O'NeillUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK.
Danai PapakonstantinouInstitute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Oliver PicklesSurgical Research Laboratory, Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Charlotte PoxonSurgical Research Laboratory, Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Megan RichterClinical Immunology Service, University of Birmingham College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Birmingham, UK.
Eloise M WalkerInstitute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Kasun WanigasooriyaSurgical Research Laboratory, Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Yasunori WatanabeSchool of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Celina WhalleySurgical Research Laboratory, Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Agnieszka E ZielinskaInstitute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Max CrispinSchool of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
David C WraithInstitute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Andrew D BeggsSurgical Research Laboratory, Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Adam F CunninghamInstitute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Mark T DraysonClinical Immunology Service, University of Birmingham College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Birmingham, UK.
Alex G RichterClinical Immunology Service, University of Birmingham College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Birmingham, UK a.g.richter@bham.ac.uk.
University of Birmingham · GBUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust · GBUniversity of Southampton · GBNIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre · GBPublic Health England · GBUniversity of Oxford · GB

Funding

Identification of neutralizing epitopes on SARS-CoV-2 spike for design of vaccines and small-molecule antiviralsUM1AI144462 · NIAID · SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE, THE · PI BURTON, DENNIS R. · 2019 to 2025
$201.6M
Cancer Research UK 24430Medical Research Council MC_PC_17183NIAID NIH HHS UM1 AI144462Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo determine the rates of asymptomatic viral carriage and seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in healthcare workers.

designA cross-sectional study of asymptomatic healthcare workers undertaken on 24/25 April 2020.

settingUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHBFT), UK.

participants545 asymptomatic healthcare workers were recruited while at work. Participants were invited to participate via the UHBFT social media. Exclusion criteria included current symptoms consistent with COVID-19. No potential participants were excluded.

interventionParticipants volunteered a nasopharyngeal swab and a venous blood sample that were tested for SARS-CoV-2 RNA and anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein antibodies, respectively. Results were interpreted in the context of prior illnesses and the hospital departments in which participants worked.

main outcome measureProportion of participants demonstrating infection and positive SARS-CoV-2 serology.

resultsThe point prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 viral carriage was 2.4% (n=13/545). The overall seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was 24.4% (n=126/516). Participants who reported prior symptomatic illness had higher seroprevalence (37.5% vs 17.1%, χ CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: We identify differences in the occupational risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 between hospital departments and confirm asymptomatic seroconversion occurs in healthcare workers. Further investigation of these observations is required to inform future infection control and occupational health practices.

Indexed as

Asymptomatic DiseasesPandemicsAdultAntibodies, ViralCOVID-19Cross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHealth PersonnelHumansMaleMiddle AgedRNA, ViralSARS-CoV-2Seroepidemiologic StudiesAntibodies, ViralRNA, Viralclinical epidemiologyinfection controlrespiratory infectionviral infection

Identifiers

PMID32917840
PMCPMC7462045
OpenAlexW3084708572

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.