Positivity of antigen test in healthcare workers in the first week after diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection
e202303019
Keywords:
COVID-19, Healthcare workerAbstract
BACKGROUND // The Surveillance and Control Strategy against COVID-19 of the spanish Ministry of Health focuses, since December 2021, on actions aimed at vulnerable people and areas, including healthcare professionals. According to these protocols, a diagnostic test for acute infection (PDIA), with a negative result, is required prior to returning to work (at least five days after the start of clinical practice). The aim of the study was to analyze the proportion of positive antigen (Ag) test results in the first week of diagnosis among healthcare professionals in a university hospital belonging to the province of A Coruña (Spain).
METHODS // We calculated the proportion of healthcare professionals who had symptoms on the 5th day after diagnosis of COVID-19 between January and March 2022, and the proportion of Ag tests performed after returning to work with positive results. These results were compared according to the month and 95% confidence intervals were calculated.
RESULTS // 1,085 cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed among healthcare professionals. 18.62% (95%CI 16.34-21.63; n=202/1,085) were still symptomatic on the 5th day. 55.27% (95% CI 51.92-58.58; n=488/833) of the Ag tests performed after return to work were positive. The mean number of days to perform the Ag test after diagnosis was 6.76 days (SD 0.76).
CONCLUSIONS // Our results show a high proportion of positive results one week after diagnosis of COVID-19 in asymptomatic patients. Taking into account that in the general population, discharge is based on clinical and temporal criteria, and assuming that not every positive test indicates infectivity, adopting a strategy similar to the rest of the population in healthcare workers would be considered plausible.
Downloads
References
Ministerio de Sanidad de España. Estrategia de Vigilancia y Control frente a COVID-19 tras la fase aguda de la pandemia. Ponencia de Alertas y Planes de preparación y Respuesta y Comisión de Salud Pública del Consejo Interterritorial del Sistema Nacional de Salud. Actualizado el 23 de marzo de 2022.
Stiefel U, Bhullar D, Zabarsky TF, Palmieri NF, Diaz KD, Torres-Teran MM et al. Healthcare personnel frequently have positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antigen tests 5 days or more after diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Infect Control Hospital Epidemiol. 2022;8:1-2. Online ahead of print. Doi: https://www.dx.doi.org/10.1017/ice.2022.21
Servizo Galego de Saude, Xunta de Galicia. CSC: Central de Seguimiento de Contactos-Coronavirus, https://coronavirus.sergas.gal/Contidos/CSC-Central-de-seguemento-de-contactos/; 2021 [consultado 6 abril 2022].
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/quarantine-isolation.html/; 2021 [consultado 6 abril 2022].
Global Point of Care. Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test Device, https://www.globalpointofcare.abbott/es/product-details/panbio-covid-19-ag-antigen-test.html/; 2021 [consultado 6 abril 2022].
European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. Contact tracing in the European Union: public health management of persons, including healthcare workers, who have had contact with COVID-19 cases-fourth update, https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/covid-19-contact-tracing-public-health-management/; 2021 [consultado 6 abril 2022].
World Health Organization. Enhancing response to Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant, https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/enhancing-readiness-for-omicron-(b.1.1.529)-technical-brief-and-priority-actions-for-member-states/; 2022 [consultado 6 abril 2022].
Chen J, Wei G-W. Omicron BA.2 (B.1.1.529.2): high potential to becoming the next dominating variant. ArXiv. 2022;10:05031v1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35169598/
La Scola B, Le Bideau M, Andreani J et al. Viral RNA load as determined by cell culture as a management tool for discharge of SARS-CoV-2 patients from infectious disease wards. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2020;39:1059-1061.
Zou L, Ruan F, Huang M et al. SARS-CoV-2 Viral Load in Upper Respiratory Specimens of Infected Patients. N Engl J Med. 2020;382:1177-1179.
Takahashi K, Ishikane M, Ujiie M, Iwamoto N, Okumura N, Sato T et al. Duration of Infectious Virus Shedding by SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant–Infected Vaccinees. Emerg Infect Dis. 2022;15:28. doi: https://www.dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2805.220197
Lee LYW, Rozmanowski S, Pang M, Charlett A, Anderson C, Hughes GJ et al. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Infectivity by Viral Load, S Gene Variants and Demographic Factors, and the Utility of Lateral Flow Devices to Prevent Transmission. Clin Infect Dis. 2022;74:407-415. doi: https://www.dx.doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciab421
Pekosz A, Parvu V, Li M, Andrews JC, Manabe YC, Kodsi S et al. Antigen-Based Testing but Not Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Correlates With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Viral Culture. Clin Infect Dis. 2021;73:e2861-2866. Doi: https://www.dx.doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciaa1706
Pilarowski G, Lebel P, Sunshine S et al. Performance Characteristics of a Rapid Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Antigen Detection Assay at a Public Plaza Testing Site in San Francisco. Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2021;223:1139-1144.
Río JJR, De Aramayona-López MJM, Granizo-Martínez JJ. Seguimiento de resultados de Test de Antígenos en trabajadores del ámbito sanitario con infección activa por SARS-CoV-2. Med Segur Trab. 2022;68:25-35.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updates and Shortens Recommended Isolation and Quarantine Period for General Population, https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s1227-isolation-quarantine-guidance.html/; 2021 [consultado 6 abril 2022].
European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. Assessment of the further spread and potential impact of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant of concern in the EU/EEA, 19th update, https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/RRA-19-update-27-jan-2022.pdf/; 2022 [consultado 6 abril 2022].
Palladino R, Mercogliano M, Fiorilla C et al. Association between COVID-19 and Sick Leave for Healthcare Workers in a Large Academic Hospital in Southern Italy: An Observational Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19:9670.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Olalla Vázquez-Cancela, Ignacio Prieto-Calaza, Isabel Ferreiro-Cadahia, Mónica Fernández-Alvarez, Alejandro Monasterio-Otero, Cristina Fernández-Pérez
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Usted es libre de:
Compartir — copiar y redistribuir el material en cualquier medio o formato.
La licenciante no puede revocar estas libertades en tanto usted siga los términos de la licencia.
Bajo los siguientes términos:
Atribución — Usted debe dar crédito de manera adecuada , brindar un enlace a la licencia, e indicar si se han realizado cambios. Puede hacerlo en cualquier forma razonable, pero no de forma tal que sugiera que usted o su uso tienen el apoyo de la licenciante.
NoComercial — Usted no puede hacer uso del material con propósitos comerciales.
SinDerivadas — Si remezcla, transforma o crea a partir del material, no podrá distribuir el material modificado.
No hay restricciones adicionales — No puede aplicar términos legales ni medidas tecnológicas que restrinjan legalmente a otras a hacer cualquier uso permitido por la licencia.
Avisos:
No tiene que cumplir con la licencia para elementos del material en el dominio público o cuando su uso esté permitido por una excepción o limitación aplicable.
No se dan garantías. La licencia podría no darle todos los permisos que necesita para el uso que tenga previsto. Por ejemplo, otros derechos como publicidad, privacidad, o derechos morales pueden limitar la forma en que utilice el material.
