Strong associations and moderate predictive value of early symptoms for SARS-CoV-2 test positivity among healthcare workers, the Netherlands, March 2020
Alma Tostmann, John Bradley, Teun Bousema, Wing-Kee Yiek, Minke Holwerda, Chantal P. Bleeker‐Rovers, Jaap ten Oever, Corianne Meijer, Janette Rahamat‐Langendoen, Joost Hopman, Nannet van der Geest-Blankert, Heiman Wertheim
Abstract
Healthcare workers (n = 803) with mild symptoms were tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (n = 90 positive) and asked to complete a symptom questionnaire. Anosmia, muscle ache, ocular pain, general malaise, headache, extreme tiredness and fever were associated with positivity. A predictive model based on these symptoms showed moderate discriminative value (sensitivity: 91.2%; specificity: 55.6%). While our models would not justify presumptive SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis without molecular confirmation, it can contribute to targeted screening strategies.