Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among asymptomatic healthcare workers in greater Houston: a cross-sectional analysis of surveillance data from a large healthcare system

Objective

To determine the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among asymptomatic COVID-19 facing and non-COVID-19 facing Healthcare Workers (HCWs), with varying job categories across different hospitals.

Design

Cross-sectional analysis of a healthcare system surveillance program that included asymptomatic clinical (COVID-19 facing and non-COVID-19 facing), and non-clinical HCWs. A convenience sample of asymptomatic community residents (CR) was also tested. Proportions and 95% confidence Intervals (CI) of SARS-CoV-2 positive HCWs are reported. Proportional trend across HCW categories was tested using Chi Square trend test. Logistic regression model-based likelihood estimates of SARS-CoV-2 prevalence among HCWs with varying job functions and across different hospitals are reported as adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and CI.

Setting

Healthcare system comprising one tertiary care academic medical center and six large community hospitals across Greater Houston and a community sample.

Participants

2,872 self-reported asymptomatic adult (> 18 years) HCWs and CRs.

Exposure

Clinical HCWs in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 units, non-Clinical HCWs, and CRs. Job categories of Nursing, Providers, Allied Health, Support, and Administration / Research. Seven hospitals in the healthcare system.

Main Outcomes

Positive reverse transcriptase polymerized chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for SARS-CoV-2

Results

Among 2,872 asymptomatic HCWs and CRs, 3.9% (CI: 3.2 – 4.7) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Mean (SD) age was 40.9 (11.7) years and 73% were females. Among COVID-19 facing HCWs 5.4% (CI: 4.5 – 6.5) were positive, whereas 0.6% (CI: 0.2 – 1.7%) of non COVID-19 facing HCWs and none of the non-clinical HCWs or CRs were positive (P_trend < 0.001). Among COVID-19 facing HCWs, SARS-CoV-2 positivity was similar for all job categories (p = 0.74). However, significant differences in positivity were observed across hospitals.

Conclusions and Relevance

Asymptomatic HCWs with COVID-19 patient exposure had a higher rate of SARS-CoV-2 positive testing than those not routinely exposed to COVID-19 patients and those not engaged in patient care. Among HCWs with routine COVID-19 exposure, all job types had relatively similar infection rates. These data can inform hospital surveillance and infection control practices for patient-facing job classifications and suggest that general environmental exposure within hospitals is not a significant source of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection.

What is already known on this topic

• A sizeable proportion of individuals who contract the novel Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can remain largely asymptomatic.

• Though such individuals may not develop symptoms, they continue to shed enough viral particles to trigger positive reverse transcriptase polymerized chain reaction (RT PCR) test for SARS-CoV-2

• Prior reports on proportion of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 individuals are highly variable with positivity ranging across < 1% to 36%

• Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers is specifically critical to understand

What this study adds

• This study demonstrates that overall rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection among asymptomatic healthcare workers in a large healthcare system of a metropolitan city in the United States was 3.9%

• The rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers who provided direct care to COVID-19 patients was 5.4% whereas it was 0.6% among those healthcare workers who did not provide direct care to COVID-19 patients

• There was no difference in SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate for different job categories of healthcare workers who provided direct care to COVID-19 patients