Volume 27, Number 1—January 2021
Dispatch
Large-Scale Testing of Asymptomatic Healthcare Personnel for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2
Catherine A. Hogan, Saurabh Gombar, Hannah Wang, Katharina Röltgen, Run-Zhang Shi, Marisa Holubar, Sang-ick Chang, Grace M. Lee, Scott D. Boyd, James Zehnder, and Benjamin A. Pinsky
Table
Clinical and laboratory characteristics for 26 healthcare personnel who had positive initial results by rRT-PCR for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, California, USA, April–June 2020*
| Characteristic | Overall, n = 26 | Asymptomatic, n = 20 | Presymptomatic, n = 6 | Unadjusted p-value† |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median age, y (IQR) |
39.5 (31–46) |
41 (32.5–47) |
32.5 (30–40) |
0.3 |
| Sex | ||||
| M | 7 (26.9) | 7 (35.0) | 0 | 0.1 |
| F |
19 (73.1) |
13 (65.0) |
6 (100) |
|
| Occupation | ||||
| Nurse | 8 (30.8) | 6 (30.0) | 2 (33.3) | 1 |
| Physician | 4 (15.4) | 2 (10.0) | 2 (33.3) | 0.3 |
| Other, direct patient facing | 6 (23.1) | 5 (25.0) | 1 (16.7) | 1 |
| Other, nondirect patient facing | 6 (23.1) | 5 (25.0) | 1 (16.7) | 1 |
| Unknown |
2 (7.7) |
2 (10.0) |
0 |
NT |
| Suspected exposure‡ | ||||
| Yes | 4 (15.4) | 2 (10.0) | 2 (33.3) | 0.2 |
| No | 17 (65.4) | 13 (65.0) | 4 (66.7) | |
| Unknown |
5 (19.2) |
5 (25.0) |
0 |
|
| Concurrent conditions | ||||
| Yes | 7 (26.9) | 5 (25.0) | 2 (33.3) | 1 |
| No | 18 (69.2) | 14 (70.0) | 4 (66.7) | |
| Unknown |
1 (3.9) |
1 (5.0) |
0 |
|
| Median days from NP testing to symptom onset (IQR) |
NA |
NA |
3 (1–9) |
NT |
| Signs/symptoms | ||||
| Fever (self-reported or objective) | NA | NA | 1 (16.7) | NT |
| Sweats | NA | NA | 1 (16.7) | |
| Cough | NA | NA | 5 (83.3) | |
| Shortness of breath | NA | NA | 1 (16.7) | |
| Sore throat | NA | NA | 3 (50.0) | |
| Rhinorrhea | NA | NA | 2 (33.3) | |
| Malaise/fatigue | NA | NA | 4 (66.7) | |
| Myalgia | NA | NA | 1 (16.7) | |
| Headache | NA | NA | 2 (33.3) | |
| Gastrointestinal | NA | NA | 2 (33.3) | |
| Unknown |
2 (7.4) |
2 (9.5) |
0 |
|
| NP Ct | ||||
| 20–25 | 1 (3.9) | 1 (5.0) | 0 | 0.2 |
| >25–35 | 3 (11.5) | 1 (5.0) | 2 (33.3) | |
| >35–45 |
22 (84.6) |
18 (90.0) |
4 (66.7) |
|
| Median NP Ct (IQR) |
38.1 (37.8–38.4) |
38.1 (37.9–38.4) |
38.1 (29.5–38.3) |
0.8 |
| Plasma IgG | ||||
| Positive | 6 (23.1) | 6 (30.0) | 0 | 0.3 |
| Negative |
20 (76.9) |
14 (70.0) |
6 (100) |
|
| Repeat rRT-PCR within 30 d, first test result | ||||
| Positive | 4 (15.4) | 2 (10.0) | 2 (33.3) | 0.3 |
| Negative | 19 (73.1) | 15 (75.0) | 4 (66.7) | |
| Not performed |
3 (11.5) |
3 (15.0) |
0 |
|
| Repeat IgG within 30 d, first test result | ||||
| Positive | 2 (7.7) | 2 (10.0) | 0 | 1 |
| Negative | 16 (61.5) | 12 (60.0) | 4 (66.7) | |
| Not performed | 8 (30.8) | 6 (30.0) | 2 (33.3) |
*Values are no. (%) unless indicated otherwise. Ct, cycle threshold; IQR, interquartile range; NA, not applicable; NP, nasopharyngeal; NT, not tested; rRT-PCR, real-time reverse transcription PCR. †By χ2 test, Fisher exact test, or Mann-Whitney U test. ‡Exposure known or suspected occurring in the community or hospital setting.
Page created: October 07, 2020
Page updated: December 21, 2020
Page reviewed: December 21, 2020
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