Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35184764›Full record

ArticleEpidemiology and infection2022

COVID-19 seroprevalence amongst healthcare workers: potential biases in estimating infection prevalence.

Maddalena Cordioli, Massimo Mirandola, Lorenzo Gios, Sebastiano Gaspari, Maria Carelli, Virginia Lotti, Angela Sandri, Caterina Vicentini, Davide Gibellini, Elena Carrara and 2 more

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in Epidemiology and infection, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
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

12 authors.

Maddalena CordioliInfectious Diseases Section, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-4804-2379
Massimo MirandolaInfectious Diseases Section, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Lorenzo GiosInfectious Diseases Section, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Sebastiano GaspariInfectious Diseases Section, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Maria CarelliMicrobiology and Virology Section, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Virginia LottiMicrobiology and Virology Section, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Angela SandriMicrobiology and Virology Section, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Caterina VicentiniMicrobiology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata Verona, Verona, Italy.
Davide GibelliniMicrobiology and Virology Section, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Elena CarraraInfectious Diseases Section, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Evelina TacconelliInfectious Diseases Section, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
ENACT Working Group

Funding

This study was funded by Cariverona Foundation (ENACT Fund 2020), Italy
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 serological tests are used to assess the infection seroprevalence within a population. This study aims at assessing potential biases in estimating infection prevalence amongst healthcare workers (HCWs) when different diagnostic criteria are considered. A multi-site cross-sectional study was carried out in April-September 2020 amongst 1.367 Italian HCWs. SARS-CoV-2 prevalence was assessed using three diagnostic criteria: RT-PCR on nasopharyngeal swab, point-of-care fingerprick serological test (POCT) result and COVID-19 clinical pathognomonic presentation. A logistic regression model was used to estimate the probability of POCT-positive result in relation to the time since infection (RT-PCR positivity). Among 1.367 HCWs, 69.2% were working in COVID-19 units. Statistically significant differences in age, role and gender were observed between COVID-19/non-COVID-19 units. Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection varied according to the criterion considered: 6.7% for POCT, 8.1% for RT-PCR, 10.0% for either POCT or RT-PCR, 9.6% for infection pathognomonic clinical presentation and 17.6% when at least one of the previous criteria was present. The probability of POCT-positive result decreased by 1.1% every 10 days from the infection. This study highlights potential biases in estimating SARS-CoV-2 point-prevalence data according to the criteria used. Although informative on infection susceptibility and herd immunity level, POCT serological tests are not the best predictors of previous COVID-19 infections for public health monitoring programmes.

Indexed as

COVID-19 Nucleic Acid TestingCOVID-19 Serological TestingHealth PersonnelPoint-of-Care TestingSARS-CoV-2AdultBiasCOVID-19Cross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansItalyMaleMiddle AgedOccupational ExposurePrevalenceCOVID-19epidemiologyoccupation-related infections

Identifiers

PMID35184764
PMCPMC8914136

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.