Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33329460›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in microbiology2020

Serologic Evaluation of Healthcare Workers Caring for COVID-19 Patients in the Republic of Korea.

Jae-Hoon Ko, Ji Yeon Lee, Hyun Ah Kim, Seung-Ji Kang, Jin Yang Baek, Su-Jin Park, Miri Hyun, Ik Joon Jo, Chi Ryang Chung, Yae-Jean Kim and 5 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in microbiology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 34% 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

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.

Jae-Hoon KoDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Ji Yeon LeeDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu, South Korea.
Hyun Ah KimDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu, South Korea.
Seung-Ji KangDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, South Korea.
Jin Yang BaekAsia Pacific Foundation for Infectious Diseases, Seoul, South Korea.
Su-Jin ParkCollege of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, South Korea.
Miri HyunDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu, South Korea.
Ik Joon JoDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Chi Ryang ChungDepartment of Critical Care Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Yae-Jean KimDivision of Infectious Diseases and Immunodeficiency, Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Eun-Suk KangDepartment of Laboratory Medicine and Genetics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Young Ki ChoiCollege of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, South Korea.
Hyun-Ha ChangDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea.
Sook In JungDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, South Korea.
Kyong Ran PeckDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Sungkyunkwan University · KRKeimyung University · KRChonnam National University Hospital · KRChungbuk National University · KRSamsung Medical Center · KRKyungpook National University · KR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The safety of healthcare workers (HCWs) against severe acute respiratory syndrome virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission is an important aspect of managing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In the South Korea, highly stringent infection prevention and control (IPC) guidelines are implemented, and reports of healthcare-associated SARS-CoV-2 transmission among HCWs are limited. However, subclinical infections may have been missed by the current symptom-based screening strategy. To evaluate the risk of undetected SARS-CoV-2 transmissions from COVID-19 patients to HCWs, we conducted a multicenter seroprevalence study after the first surge of the COVID-19 outbreak. A total of 432 HCWs were evaluated, comprising 309 HCWs designated to laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patient care and 123 non-designated HCWs. Designated HCWs wore personal protective equipment including an N95 respirator, eye protection, hooded overalls, shoe covers, and inner and outer gloves. Use of a powered air-purifying respirator was recommended for aerosol-generating procedures or long-duration care activities. A high-sensitivity (99.1%) fluorescence immunoassay immunoglobulin G (IgG) kit was used as the initial screening test, and two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits for total and IgG antibodies were used to confirm the test results. A microneutralization test was additionally performed to evaluate the neutralizing activity of positive specimens. Among the evaluated HCWs, none of the non-designated HCWs had a positive result, while one of the HCWs designated for COVID-19 patient care (1/309, 0.3%) was seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 with confirmed neutralizing activity (1:40). This finding suggests that subclinical seroconversion may occur among HCWs caring for COVID-19 patients, although the risk is low under strict IPC guidance.

Indexed as

antibodyCOVID-19healthcare workerSARS-CoV-2serology

Identifiers

PMID33329460
PMCPMC7714715
OpenAlexW3108259506

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.