Dr. Michael Weekes and his colleagues at the Department of Infectious Diseases within the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust identified SARS-CoV-2 positive health care workers (HCWs) in the wards in April of 2020. The overall percentage of asymptomatic positive HCWs was 5%. In one ward, identified as Ward Q, more than 25% of HCWs tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by Real-Time RT-PCR. This study underscores the importance of regular viral surveillance screening for hospital staff and providing adequate training to prevent nosocomial spread of infectious disease pathogens including the novel coronavirus strain.
A link to the full text article e-published May 11, 2020 can be accessed here.
The authors conclude:
“Our data demonstrates the utility of comprehensive screening of HCWs with minimal or no symptoms. This approach will be critical for protecting patients and hospital staff.”
AUTHORS: Lucy Rivett, MBBS 1,2*, Sushmita Sridhar, BS 3,4,5*, Dominic Sparkes, MBBS 1,2*, Matthew Routledge, MBBS 1,2 3 *, Nick K. Jones, MBBS 1,2,4,5*, Sally Forrest, BSc 4,5, Jamie Young, BSc 6 , Joana Pereira-Dias, MSc 4,5 L. Hamilton, PhD 1,2, Mark Ferris, MSc 7, M. Estee Torok, PhD 5,8, Luke Meredith, PhD 5, The CITIID-NIHR COVID-19 BioResource Collaboration, Martin Curran, PhD 2, Stewart Fuller, MSc 10, Afzal Chaudhry, PhD 11, Ashley Shaw, MBChB 11, Prof. Richard J. Samworth, PhD 12, Prof. John R. Bradley, DM 4,13, Prof. Gordon Dougan, FRS 4,5 7, Prof. Kenneth G.C. Smith, FMedSci 4,5, Prof. Paul J. Lehner, FMedSci 1,4,5, Nicholas J. Matheson, PhD 1,4,5,8 , Giles Wright, BA 7 , Prof. Ian Goodfellow, PhD 9¶ , Prof. Stephen Baker, PhD 4,5¶, Michael P. Weekes, PhD 1,4,5¶
AFFILIATIONS:
1 Department of Infectious Diseases, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
2 Cambridge Institute for Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
3 Academic Department of Medical Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
4 Department of Occupational Health and Wellbeing, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
5 Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
6 Division of Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
7 Clinical Microbiology & Public Health Laboratory, Public Health England (PHE), Cambridge, United Kingdom.
8 Clinical Research Facility, National Institutes for Health Research, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
9 Chief Medical Information Officer, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
10 Medical Director, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
11 Statistical Laboratory, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
12 Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
13 Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
ABSTRACT: Significant differences exist in the availability of healthcare worker (HCW) SARS-CoV-2 testing between countries, and existing programmes focus on screening symptomatic rather than asymptomatic staff. Over a 3-week period (April 2020), 1,032 asymptomatic HCWs were screened for SARS-CoV-2 in a large UK teaching hospital. Symptomatic staff and symptomatic household contacts were additionally tested. Real-time RT-PCR was used to detect viral RNA from a throat+nose self-swab. 3% of HCWs in the asymptomatic screening group tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. 17/30 (57%) were truly asymptomatic/pauci-symptomatic. 12/30 (40%) had experienced symptoms compatible with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) >7 days prior to testing, most self-isolating, returning well. Clusters of HCW infection were discovered on two independent wards. Viral genome sequencing showed that the majority of HCWs had the dominant lineage B∙1. Our data demonstrates the utility of comprehensive screening of HCWs with minimal or no symptoms. This approach will be critical for protecting patients and hospital staff.
PMID: 32392129
doi: 10.7554/eLife.58728
© 2020, Rivett et al.