TY - JOUR
T1 - Extremely low prevalence of asymptomatic COVID-19 among healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients in Israeli hospitals
T2 - a cross-sectional study
AU - the Healthcare Worker COVID-19 Surveillance Working Group
AU - Temkin, Elizabeth
AU - Schwaber, Mitchell J.
AU - Solter, Ester
AU - Vaturi, Azza
AU - Hen, Dafna
AU - Lugassy, Carmela Gweta
AU - Teitler, Nava
AU - Nutman, Amir
AU - Rubinovitch, Bina
AU - Ben-Zvi, Haim
AU - Shbita, Rana
AU - Wolf, Natalia Halel
AU - Benenson, Shmuel
AU - Gross, Ilana
AU - Slama, Carole
AU - Ottolenghi, Miriam
AU - Gottesman, Tamar
AU - Lev, Shaul
AU - Beilin, Viktoria
AU - Berkov, Evgeny
AU - Cohen, Regev
AU - Fried, Talya Finn
AU - Afraimov, Marina
AU - Shitrit, Pnina
AU - Egozi, Noga Vered
AU - Yassin, Alia
AU - Laderman, Hani
AU - Friedman, Haya
AU - Wiener-Well, Yonit
AU - Ben-Dor, Michal Itach
AU - Ben-David, Debby
AU - Harar, Orna Schwartz
AU - Yakobov, Malka
AU - Yashaev, Shoshana
AU - Marchaim, Dror
AU - Estrin, Inna
AU - Bibliv, Alexandra
AU - Saadon, Hodaya
AU - Ben Yossef, Galit
AU - Carmeli, Yehuda
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
PY - 2021/1
Y1 - 2021/1
N2 - Objectives: We aimed to compare the prevalence of asymptomatic coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) among clinical staff in designated COVID-19 units versus that among staff in similar units with no known or suspected COVID-19 patients. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of healthcare workers (HCWs) in eight Israeli general hospitals. The survey involved a questionnaire and a PCR test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We surveyed HCWs in COVID-19 units and comparison units (internal medicine and cardiology) between 30th April and 7th May 2020. Results: There were 522 participants: 291 from COVID-19 units and 231 from comparison units. Only one participant (0.2%, 95%CI: 0.005–1.1%)—an asymptomatic nurse on a COVID-19 unit—tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. In participating COVID-19 units there were two symptomatic HCWs with confirmed COVID-19 in the 2 weeks before the survey; both were infected by contact with a co-worker outside of the COVID-19 unit. Conclusions: The low prevalence of asymptomatic COVID-19 among HCWs, coupled with an absence of symptomatic COVID-19 acquired during patient care, suggest that Israel's national guidelines for personal protective equipment, which are consistent with those of the World Health Organization, adequately protect HCWs.
AB - Objectives: We aimed to compare the prevalence of asymptomatic coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) among clinical staff in designated COVID-19 units versus that among staff in similar units with no known or suspected COVID-19 patients. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of healthcare workers (HCWs) in eight Israeli general hospitals. The survey involved a questionnaire and a PCR test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We surveyed HCWs in COVID-19 units and comparison units (internal medicine and cardiology) between 30th April and 7th May 2020. Results: There were 522 participants: 291 from COVID-19 units and 231 from comparison units. Only one participant (0.2%, 95%CI: 0.005–1.1%)—an asymptomatic nurse on a COVID-19 unit—tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. In participating COVID-19 units there were two symptomatic HCWs with confirmed COVID-19 in the 2 weeks before the survey; both were infected by contact with a co-worker outside of the COVID-19 unit. Conclusions: The low prevalence of asymptomatic COVID-19 among HCWs, coupled with an absence of symptomatic COVID-19 acquired during patient care, suggest that Israel's national guidelines for personal protective equipment, which are consistent with those of the World Health Organization, adequately protect HCWs.
KW - Asymptomatic infection
KW - COVID-19
KW - Healthcare workers
KW - Infection control
KW - Personal protective equipment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85093984862&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.cmi.2020.09.040
DO - 10.1016/j.cmi.2020.09.040
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C2 - 33010442
AN - SCOPUS:85093984862
SN - 1198-743X
VL - 27
SP - 130.e1-130.e4
JO - Clinical Microbiology and Infection
JF - Clinical Microbiology and Infection
IS - 1
ER -
