Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35763522›Full record

ArticlePloS one2022

Use of an algorithm based on routine blood laboratory tests to exclude COVID-19 in a screening-setting of healthcare workers.

Math P G Leers, Ruben Deneer, Guy J M Mostard, Remy L M Mostard, Arjen-Kars Boer, Volkher Scharnhorst, Frans Stals, Henne A Kleinveld, Dirk W van Dam

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 44% 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

2 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  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

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Math P G LeersDepartment of Clinical Chemistry & Hematology, Zuyderland Medical Center, Heerlen-Sittard, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-5186-5600
Ruben DeneerDepartment Of Clinical Chemistry & Hematology, Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Guy J M MostardDepartment of Internal Medicine, Zuyderland Medical Center, Heerlen-Sittard, The Netherlands.
Remy L M MostardDepartment of Pulmonology, Zuyderland Medical Center, Heerlen-Sittard, The Netherlands.
Arjen-Kars BoerDepartment Of Clinical Chemistry & Hematology, Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Volkher ScharnhorstDepartment Of Clinical Chemistry & Hematology, Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Frans StalsDepartment of Medical Microbiology & Infectionprevention, Zuyderland Medical Center, Heerlen-Sittard, The Netherlands.
Henne A KleinveldDepartment of Clinical Chemistry & Hematology, Zuyderland Medical Center, Heerlen-Sittard, The Netherlands.
Dirk W van DamDepartment of Medical Microbiology & Infectionprevention, Zuyderland Medical Center, Heerlen-Sittard, The Netherlands.
Zuyderland Medisch Centrum · NLRadboud University Nijmegen · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCOVID-19 is an ongoing pandemic leading to exhaustion of the hospital care system. Our health care system has to deal with a high level of sick leave of health care workers (HCWs) with COVID-19 related complaints, in whom an infection with SARS-CoV-2 has to be ruled out before they can return back to work. The aim of the present study is to investigate if the recently described CoLab-algorithm can be used to exclude COVID-19 in a screening setting of HCWs.

methodsIn the period from January 2021 till March 2021, HCWs with COVID-19-related complaints were prospectively collected and included in this study. Next to the routinely performed SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR, using a set of naso- and oropharyngeal swab samples, two blood tubes (one EDTA- and one heparin-tube) were drawn for analysing the 10 laboratory parameters required for running the CoLab-algorithm.

resultsIn total, 726 HCWs with a complete CoLab-laboratory panel were included in this study. In this group, 684 HCWs were tested SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR negative and 42 cases RT-PCR positive. ROC curve analysis showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.853 (95% CI: 0.801-0.904). At a safe cut-off value for excluding COVID-19 of -6.525, the sensitivity was 100% with a specificity of 34% (95% CI: 21 to 49%). No SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR cases were missed with this cut-off and COVID-19 could be safely ruled out in more than one third of HCWs.

conclusionThe CoLab-score is an easy and reliable algorithm that can be used for screening HCWs with COVID-19 related complaints. A major advantage of this approach is that the results of the score are available within 1 hour after collecting the samples. This results in a faster return to labour process of a large part of the COVID-19 negative HCWs (34%), next to a reduction in RT-PCR tests (reagents and labour costs) that can be saved.

Indexed as

COVID-19AlgorithmsHealth PersonnelHematologic TestsHumansSARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

PMID35763522
PMCPMC9239486
OpenAlexW4283694402

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.