SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence Survey in People Involved in Different Essential Activities during the General Lock-Down Phase in the Province of Prato (Tuscany, Italy)

Abstract

Serosurveys may help to assess the transmission dynamics in high-risk groups. The aim of the study was to assess the SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence in people who had performed essential activities during the lock-down period in the Province of Prato (Italy), and to evaluate the risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 according to the type of service. All the workers and volunteers of the Civil Protection, employees of the municipalities, and all the staff of the Health Authority of the Province of Prato were invited to be tested with a rapid serological test. A total of 4656 participants were tested. SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were found in 138 (2.96%) cases. The seroprevalence in health care workers, in participants involved in essential support services and in those who worked from home were 4.1%, 1.4% and 1.0%, respectively. Health care workers experienced higher odds of seropositivity (OR 4.38, 95%CI 2.19–10.41) than participants who were assigned to work-from-home; no significant seropositivity differences were observed between support services and work-from-home groups. A low circulation of SARS-CoV-2 was observed among participants performing different essential activities. Findings highlighted the risk of in-hospital transmission in healthcare workers and that community support services may increase the risk of seropositivity to a limited extent in low incidence areas.

Attitude and Behaviors towards SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination among Healthcare Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study from Poland

“…Our previous survey study performed on medical students has proven that the willingness to get vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 as soon as possible depends on several factors: fear of passing on the disease to relatives, fear of long-term side effects on a scale of 0-10, and the presence of the depression symptoms in the past week [5]. In the current study we hypothesize that: (1) healthcare workers present pro-vaccination behaviors and attitudes significantly more often than the control group, (2) depression, anxiety and stress level affect the willingness to be vaccinated in study participants.…”

“…The several cases of severe pneumonia of unknown origin that were observed in Wuhan at the end of 2019 have initiated one of the most important events of this century. The condition was referred to as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID- 19), and it was established that the underlying cause of the disease constitutes a novel coronavirus, classified as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) [1]. Exponentially increasing incidence of COVID-19, as observed both in China and worldwide, led to the announcement on COVID-19 pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020 [1].…”

“…The condition was referred to as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID- 19), and it was established that the underlying cause of the disease constitutes a novel coronavirus, classified as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) [1]. Exponentially increasing incidence of COVID-19, as observed both in China and worldwide, led to the announcement on COVID-19 pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020 [1]. Thus, a race against time in the middle of death and devastation has begun [2].…”

Seroprevalence of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM among Adults over 65 Years Old in the South of Italy

“…In this context, sero-surveillance studies are crucial in order to better determine the true number of infections within the general population, to anticipate pandemic dynamics, to adopt appropriate control measures that could prevent transmission, and also, to understand how to achieve herd immunity [ 4 ]. Plenty of serological surveys have been carried out so far in either randomized or not cohort of patients, both on a local and national scale [ 5 , 6 ], confirming that contagion rate is higher among health-care workers [ 7 , 8 ], and that asymptomatic infection is greater among younger individuals [ 9 , 10 ].…”

Repeated Antigen-Based Rapid Diagnostic Testing for Estimating the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Prevalence from the Perspective of the Workers’ Vulnerability before and during the Lockdown

“…Hence, in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, timely and best available surveillance data are crucial to guide policy decisions. The first results from SARS-CoV-2 serosurveys in health care workers have begun to appear in the literature [4,5], but very limited research has examined other categories of essential workers in the general population. It has been documented recently that the risk of in-hospital transmission in healthcare workers is higher, and a lower risk of seropositivity in participants working in other community support services or those who were working from home in Italy [5].…”