A new study of 13 U.S. medical centers finds that 6% of staff tested positive for prior infection with coronavirus, with almost half having no idea they'd ever contracted coronavirus.
Researchers conducted blood antibody testing of more than 3,200 doctors, nurses and other hospital staff between early April and mid-June. About 1 in 16 of the tests came up positive, with 29% of those positive results occurring in people who said they'd had no symptoms suggestive of COVID-19. The study was published Aug. 31 in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Infection rates among staff also varied widely among hospitals, ranging from just 0.8% at one center to more than 31% at another.
But, researchers did take note of one thing: The use of masks, gowns, gloves and other protective gear by staff kept infection rates down. On the other hand, hospitals that had shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) saw a rise in COVID-19 infections.
The study prompted one emergency physician working on the frontlines of the pandemic to agree that prevention is key.
Source: Drugs.com September 1, 2020