SARS-CoV-2 infections amongst personnel providing home care services for older persons in Stockholm, Sweden.
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Hassan SS, Seigerud Å, Abdirahman R, Arroyo Mühr LS, Nordqvist Kleppe S, Pin E, Månberg A, Hober S, Nilsson P, Engstrand L, Miriam Elfström K, Blomqvist J, Conneryd Lundgren K, Dillner J
J Intern Med 290 (2) 430-436 [2021-08-00; online 2021-04-12]
In Sweden, home care services is a major external contact for older persons. Five home care service companies in Stockholm, Sweden, enrolled 405 employees to a study including serum IgG to SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-2 virus in throat swabs. 20.1% (81/403) of employees were seropositive, about twice as many as in a simultaneously enrolled reference population (healthcare workers entirely without patient contact, n = 3671; 9.7% seropositivity). 13/379 employees (3.4%) had a current infection (PCR positivity). Amongst these, 5 were also seropositive and 3 were positive with low amounts of virus. High amounts of virus and no antibodies (a characteristic for presymptomatic COVID-19) were present in 5 employees (1.3%). Personnel providing home services for older persons appear to be a risk group for SARS-CoV-2. Likely presymptomatic employees can be readily identified by screening. Increased protection of employees and of the older persons they serve is warranted.
PubMed 33843090
DOI 10.1111/joim.13274
Crossref 10.1111/joim.13274