High seroprevalence to SARS-CoV-2 among healthcare and non-healthcare workers of the ophthalmology center

Background . The pandemic of COVID-19 raised safety concerns for healthcare workers while non-medical personnel were left unattended. Comparing the levels of seroprevalence to SARS-CoV-2 and vaccination in different employee groups will allows us to assess the risk of infection and develop a strategy to minimize the spread of infections in medical institutions in future. The aim . To identify the level of seroprevalence to SARS-CoV-2 for seven groups of medical center workers. Methods. The seroprevalence to SARS-CoV-2 was analyzed in 361 employees of the ophthalmology center in mid-2021. Data on the level of specific IgM and IgG antibodies were compared with questionnaire, including occupation data. Results . Depending on occupation, workers were divided into seven groups. The average seroprevalence rate for all employees was 82.3 %, and the percentage of vaccinated employees was 27.4 %. The lowest level of seroprevalence was found in the group of maintenance staff (55.0 %) which is significantly lower (p ˂ 0.05) than in the groups of doctors (84.4 %), nurses (85.6 %), administrative stuff (82.6 %) and cafeteria stuff (77.7 %). The seroprevalence rate for cleaning staff was 84.6 % and for pharmacy workers it was 80 %. The highest vaccination coverage was among doctors – 50.0 %, the lowest was among cafeteria and kitchen staff – 7.4 %. Discussion . We believe the high seroprevalence is associated with asymptomatic spread of SARS-CoV-2. Conclusions . High seroprevalence was among doctors and nurses, pharmacy workers, canteen workers, cleaners, as well as administration workers. Anti-epidemic measures for these groups will reduce the spread of infectious diseases and help retain staff during the seasonal increase in incidence.