Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies among Frontline Healthcare Workers in an Urban Tertiary Care Center

International Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences | Vol. 10, No. 9, September 2020 | pp. 66–73

DOI: 10.46882/2020/IJMMS/100066

Original Research Article

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies among Frontline Healthcare Workers in an Urban Tertiary Care Center

Fatima Z. Bello¹, Kwaku A. Mensah², Grace N. Ojo¹*

¹Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria.

²Department of Community Health, School of Medical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.

Abstract:

Healthcare workers (HCWs) face extreme occupational hazards during respiratory pandemics, often suffering subclinical transmissions. This cross-sectional seroprevalence survey determined the rate of SARS-CoV-2 exposure and asymptomatic infection among frontline clinical and non-clinical healthcare personnel. Blood samples were collected from 500 HCWs (including doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists, and hospital cleaners) who had no prior laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis. Serum samples were assayed for total antibodies (IgG and IgM) against the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein using a high-affinity chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA). Structured questionnaires tracked PPE compliance, job descriptions, and previous exposure details. The overall seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was found to be 12.4% (62/500). Stratified by job role, hospital ward cleaners had the highest seropositivity rate (18.6%), followed by nursing staff (14.2%) and medical doctors (9.5%). Notably, 67.7% (42/62) of the seropositive personnel reported no history of respiratory symptoms in the preceding 6 months, confirming a high rate of asymptomatic transmission. Logistic regression analysis identified inadequate supply of N95 respirators (OR = 3.4, 95% CI = 1.8–6.4, p < 0.01) and working in dedicated COVID-19 treatment wards (OR = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.3–5.2, p < 0.01) as major operational risk factors. The high prevalence of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity among hospital workers underlines the limitations of symptom-based screening alone. Regular active surveillance through molecular or serological tools, continuous PPE auditing, and enhanced infection prevention training for supporting staff are critical to reducing hospital-acquired clusters.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, Seroprevalence, Healthcare Workers, Asymptomatic Infection, Occupational Exposure, Personal Protective Equipment

Manuscript Timeline: Received: June 15, 2020; Revised: July 22, 2020; Accepted: August 10, 2020; Published: September 11, 2020.

Citation: Bello FZ, Mensah KA, Ojo GN. Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies among Frontline Healthcare Workers in an Urban Tertiary Care Center. International Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences, 2020, 10(9): 66–73. DOI: 10.46882/2020/IJMMS/100066

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