• About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Login
    • ObGFirst
  • COVID-19
  • Alerts
  • OB
  • 2T US Atlas
  • The Genome
  • GYN
    • GYN
    • Sexual Health
  • Primary Care
  • Your Practice
  • GrandRounds
  • My Bookshelf
  • Now@ObG
  • Media
About Us Contact Us Login ObGFirst
  • COVID-19
  • Alerts
  • OB
  • 2T US Atlas
  • The Genome
  • GYN
    • GYN
    • Sexual Health
  • Primary Care
  • Your Practice
  • GrandRounds
  • My Bookshelf
  • Now@ObG
  • Media
COVID-19 Testing

The SAFER Study: What is the Risk to Healthcare Workers for COVID-19 During the Pandemic Peak?

image_pdfFavoriteLoadingFavorite

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

  • Houlihan et al. (The Lancet, 2020) evaluate the risk of HCWs contracting and transmitting COVID-19

METHODS:

  • Prospective cohort study (March 26 to April 8, 2020)
    • SARS-CoV-2 Acquisition in Frontline Healthcare Workers—Evaluation to inform Response (SAFER)
  • Setting
    • National Health Service hospital trust in London, UK
  • Participants
    • Patient-facing healthcare workers (HCWs)
  • Study design
    • Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected twice weekly for RT-PCR testing | RT-PCR tests were done twice a week
    • HCWs symptom data were tracked

RESULTS:

  • Total of 200 HCWs were enrolled
    • Median age: 34 (IQR 29 to 44) years
    • Evidence of COVID-19 at any time point: 44% (87 of 200 HCWs)
      • 21% had at least 1 positive RT-PCR test
      • Antibodies: 20% seroconverted and 25% were already seropositive at study entry
    • No hospitalizations reported
  • Mean duration of SARS-CoV-2 detection: 12.9 days (95% CI, 9.4 to 17.3)
    • Longest duration: 29 days
  • Trend towards a higher infection rate in younger HCWs <30 years (p=0.0199)
    • <30: 55%
    • >50: 33%
  • Asymptomatic carriage
    • Symptoms within 7 days of positive test: 48%
    • No symptoms within 7 days of positive test: 38%
  • Infection rates
    • Infection rate within 1 month in those with negative RT-PCR test and without antibodies: 13% (14 of 112 HCWs)
    • Infection rate in HCWs in those who had antibodies with negative RT-PCR at enrollment: 3% (1 of 33 HCWs)
    • Most infections occurred during the week with the highest number of new cases in London

CONCLUSION:

  • 44% of HCWs had evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection through RT-PCR or serology
    • Higher than other international reports
    • Percentage >2x that of the general population in London
  • The authors suggest that urgent policies are needed
    • HCWs need adequate PPE
    • Adequately protect against asymptomatic transmission into the general population from HCWs (through surveillance testing)

Learn More – Primary Sources:

Pandemic peak SARS-CoV-2 infection and seroconversion rates in London frontline health-care workers

Get COVID-19 Research Summaries Direct to Your Phone

ObGFirst® – Try It Free! »

image_pdfFavoriteLoadingFavorite
< Previous
All COVID-19 Testing Posts
Next >

Related ObG Topics:

CDC Update: COVID-19 Infection Rate Among Healthcare Workers
COVID-19 Infection Rates in Healthcare Personnel: Data from Washington State
COVID-19: The Impact of Asymptomatic Cases on the Pandemic Outbreak

Sections

  • COVID-19
  • Alerts
  • OB
  • GYN
    • GYN
    • Sexual Health
  • 2T US Atlas
  • The Genome
  • Primary Care
  • Your Practice
  • Grand Rounds
  • My Bookshelf
  • Now@ObG
  • Media

Are you an
ObG Insider?

Get specially curated clinical summaries delivered to your inbox every week for free

  • Site Map/
  • © ObG Project/
  • Terms and Conditions/
  • Privacy/
  • Contact Us/
© ObG Project
SSL Certificate


  • Already an ObGFirst Member?
    Welcome back

    Log In

    Want to sign up?
    Get guideline notifications
    CME Included

    Sign Up

Download Your ObG App
HERE!

Sign In

Lost your password?

Sign Up for ObGFirst and Stay Ahead

  • - Professional guideline notifications
  • - Daily summary of a clinically relevant
    research paper
  • - Includes 1 hour of CME every month

ObGFirst Free Trial

Already a Member of ObGFirst®?

Please log in to ObGFirst to access the 2T US Atlas

Password Trouble?

Not an ObGFirst® Member Yet?

  • - Access 2T US Atlas
  • - Guideline notifications
  • - Daily research paper summaries
  • - And lots more!
ObGFirst Free Trial

Media - Internet

Computer System Requirements

OBG Project CME requires a modern web browser (Internet Explorer 10+, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge). Certain educational activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of their content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Flash, Apple QuickTime, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft PowerPoint, Windows Media Player, or Real Networks Real One Player.

Disclosure of Unlabeled Use

This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. The planners of this activity do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications.

The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of the planners. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.

Disclaimer

Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. The information
presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed or suggested in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of their patient’s conditions and possible contraindications and/or dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.

Jointly provided by

NOT ENOUGH CME HOURS

It appears you don't have enough CME Hours to take this Post-Test. Feel free to buy additional CME hours or upgrade your current CME subscription plan

Subscribe

JOIN OBGFIRST AND GET CME/CE CREDITS

One of the benefits of an ObGFirst subscription is the ability to earn CME/CE credits from the ObG entries you read. Tap the button to learn more about ObGFirst

Learn More
Leaving ObG Website

You are now leaving the ObG website and on your way to PRIORITY at UCSF, an independent website. Therefore, we are not responsible for the content or availability of this site