ArticleERJ open research2021
The protective effect of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Scottish healthcare workers.
Article in ERJ open research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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
20 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 33 citations in OpenAlex.
- Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among oral health care workers with natural seroconversion: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Scientific reports · 2025Pooled it
- Protective effectiveness of previous infection against subsequent SARS-Cov-2 infection: systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2024Pooled it
- A Hybrid Architecture (CO-CONNECT) to Facilitate Rapid Discovery and Access to Data Across the United Kingdom in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Development Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2022Pooled it
- The Protection of Naturally Acquired Antibodies Against Subsequent SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Emerging microbes & infections · 2022Pooled it
- Dynamics and Protective Effectiveness of Serological Testing Among Healthcare Workers Vaccinated Against COVID-19.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2026Article
- The Dynamics of Antibody Titres Against SARS-CoV-2 in Vaccinated Healthcare Workers: A Systemic Literature Review.Vaccines · 2024Review
- Risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in dental healthcare workers - a systematic review and meta-analysis.GMS hygiene and infection control · 2024Article
- Article
- The Scottish COVID Cancer Immunity Prevalence Study: A Longitudinal Study of SARS-CoV-2 Immune Response in Patients Receiving Anti-Cancer Treatment.The oncologist · 2023Article
- Designing an optimal sequence of non-pharmaceutical interventions for controlling COVID-19.European journal of operational research · 2022Article
- Likelihood of COVID-19 reinfection in an urban community cohort in Massachusetts.Dialogues in health · 2022Article
- Article
- COVID-19 incidence and vaccination rates among Canadian dental hygienists.Canadian journal of dental hygiene : CJDH = Journal canadien de l'hygiene dentaire : JCHD · 2022Article
- COVID-19 infection, and reinfection, and vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic infection among health care workers in the setting of omicron variant transmission in New Delhi, India.The Lancet regional health. Southeast Asia · 2022Article
- Seroprevalence in health care workers during the later phase of the second wave: Results of three hospitals in Serbia, prior to vaccine administration.Journal of infection and public health · 2022Article
- Characterization and evolution of infection control practices among severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-infected healthcare workers in acute-care hospitals and long-term care facilities in Québec, Canada, Spring 2020.Infection control and hospital epidemiology · 2022Article
- What Is the Antibody Response and Role in Conferring Natural Immunity After SARS-CoV-2 Infection? Rapid, Living Practice Points From the American College of Physicians (Version 2).Annals of internal medicine · 2022Article
- SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in health care workers from 10 hospitals in Quebec, Canada: a cross-sectional study.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2021Article
- SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence among Healthcare Workers in General Hospitals and Clinics in Japan.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- The burden of SARS-CoV-2 among healthcare workers across 16 hospitals of Kashmir, India-A seroepidemiological study.PloS one · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
16 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHealthcare workers (HCWs) are believed to be at increased risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. It is not known to what extent the natural production of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 is protective against re-infection.
methodsA prospective observational study of HCWs in Scotland (UK) from May to September 2020 was performed. The Siemens SARS-CoV-2 total antibody assay was used to establish seroprevalence in this cohort. Controls, matched for age and sex to the general local population, were studied for comparison. New infections (up to 2 December 2020) post antibody testing were recorded to determine whether the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies protects against re-infection.
resultsA total of 2063 health and social care workers were recruited for this study. At enrolment, 300 HCWs had a positive antibody test (14.5%). 11 out of 231 control sera tested positive (4.8%). HCWs therefore had an increased likelihood of a positive test (OR 3.4, 95% CI 1.85-6.16; p<0.0001). Dentists were most likely to test positive. 97.3% of patients who had previously tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR had positive antibodies. 18.7% had an asymptomatic infection. There were 38 new infections with SARS-CoV-2 in HCWs who were previously antibody negative, and one symptomatic RT-PCR-positive re-infection. The presence of antibodies was therefore associated with an 85% reduced risk of re-infection with SARS-CoV-2 (hazard ratio 0.15, 95% CI 0.06-0.35; p=0.026).
conclusionHCWs were three times more likely to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 than the general population. Almost all infected individuals developed an antibody response, which was 85% effective in protecting against re-infection with SARS-CoV-2.
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.