SARS‐CoV‐2 Infection in Health Care Workers: Cross‐sectional Analysis of an Otolaryngology Unit
Alberto Paderno, Milena Fior, Giulia Berretti, Alberto Schreiber, Alberto Grammatica, Davide Mattavelli, Alberto Deganello
Abstract
The restart of routine in‐ and outpatient activity in the COVID‐19 postepidemic peak needs to be carefully planned in light of specific patterns of viral diffusion. We evaluated SARS‐CoV‐2 serology in the entire personnel of a COVID‐19‐free otolaryngology department in a highly affected area. The aim was to determine the prevalence of SARS‐CoV‐2 positivity among staff to clarify the impact of different risk factors for infection. The entire staff of the otolaryngology unit was tested for SARS‐CoV‐2 serology. Symptomatic staff members were tested with nasal/pharyngeal swabs. All answered a survey focused on the number of in‐ and extrahospital positive contacts and type of activities in the unit. Five (9%) were positive for SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. The only variable associated with a higher risk of infection was the number of extrahospital contacts without personal protective equipment ( P =. 008). Our study shows that in non‐COVID‐19 departments, the use of adequate personal protective equipment leads to low rates of infection among health care workers. The prevalent risk of infection was related to extrahospital contact.