Coronavirus Disease 2019 Symptoms and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Antibody Positivity in a Large Survey of First Responders and Healthcare Personnel, May-July 2020

Lara J Akinbami; Lyle R Petersen; Samira Sami; Nga Vuong; Susan L Lukacs; Lisa Mackey; Jenny Atas; Bonnie J LaFleur

doi:10.1093/cid/ciab080

Coronavirus Disease 2019 Symptoms and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Antibody Positivity in a Large Survey of First Responders and Healthcare Personnel, May-July 2020

Clin Infect Dis. 2021 Aug 2;73(3):e822-e825. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciab080.

Authors

Lara J Akinbami^{1

2}, Lyle R Petersen³, Samira Sami^{4

5}, Nga Vuong⁵, Susan L Lukacs^{1

2}, Lisa Mackey³, Jenny Atas⁶, Bonnie J LaFleur⁷

Affiliations

¹ National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, Maryland, USA.
² US Public Health Service, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
³ National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
⁴ Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
⁵ National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
⁶ Region 2 South Healthcare Coalition, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
⁷ BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.

Abstract

A severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 serosurvey among first responder/healthcare personnel showed that loss of taste/smell was most predictive of seropositivity; percent seropositivity increased with number of coronavirus disease 2019 symptoms. However, 22.9% with 9 symptoms were seronegative, and 8.3% with no symptoms were seropositive. These findings demonstrate limitations of symptom-based surveillance and importance of testing.

Keywords: COVID-19 symptom; SARS-CoV-2; first responders; healthcare personnel; seroprevalence.

Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2021.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Delivery of Health Care
Emergency Responders*
Humans
SARS-CoV-2
Seroepidemiologic Studies