SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Health Care Personnel and Their Household Contacts at a Tertiary Academic Medical Center: Protocol for a Longitudinal Cohort Study

Details

• Personal Author:
  Abernathy H ; Aiello AE ; Alavian N ; Beatty C ; Boyce RM ; Chung S ; Ciccone EJ ; Garrett HE ; Juliano JJ ; King E ; Law E ; Lodge EK ; Markmann AJ ; Miller E ; Rebuli ME ; Reyes R ; Sellers S ; Taylor JL ; Volfovsky A ; Weber DJ ; Xu J ; Zhu D ; Zivich PN
• Description:
  Background: Health care personnel (HCP) are at high risk for exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. While personal protective equipment (PPE) may mitigate this risk, prospective data collection on its use and other risk factors for seroconversion in this population is needed. Objective: The primary objectives of this study are to (1) determine the incidence of, and risk factors for, SARS-CoV-2 infection among HCP at a tertiary care medical center and (2) actively monitor PPE use, interactions between study participants via electronic sensors, secondary cases in households, and participant mental health and well-being. Methods: To achieve these objectives, we designed a prospective, observational study of SARS-CoV-2 infection among HCP and their household contacts at an academic tertiary care medical center in North Carolina, USA. Enrolled HCP completed frequent surveys on symptoms and work activities and provided serum and nasal samples for SARS-CoV-2 testing every 2 weeks. Additionally, interactions between participants and their movement within the clinical environment were captured with a smartphone app and Bluetooth sensors. Finally, a subset of participants' households was randomly selected every 2 weeks for further investigation, and enrolled households provided serum and nasal samples via at-home collection kits. Results: As of December 31, 2020, 211 HCP and 53 household participants have been enrolled. Recruitment and follow-up are ongoing and expected to continue through September 2021. Conclusions: Much remains to be learned regarding the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection among HCP and their household contacts. Through the use of a multifaceted prospective study design and a well-characterized cohort, we will collect critical information regarding SARS-CoV-2 transmission risks in the health care setting and its linkage to the community. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Cohort Studies Communicable Diseases Health Personnel Mental Health Nervous System Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: SARS-CoV-2 Bluetooth Contact Tracking Cell Phones Cohort Studies COVID-19 Disease Incidence Disease Transmission Health Care Personnel Health Personnel Longitudinal Study Mental Health Mobile Phone Occupational Exposure Occupational Health SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence Survey-based Research

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• ISSN:
  1929-0748
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Contract
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  North Carolina ; OSHA Region 4
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  10
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20068107
• Citation:
  JMIR Res Protoc 2021 Apr; 10(4):e25410
• Contact Point Address:
  Emily J Ciccone, MD, MHS, Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, 111 Mason Farm Road, MBRB 2341C, CB #7036, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, United States
• Email:
  ciccone@med.unc.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2021
• Performing Organization:
  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20201105
• Source Full Name:
  JMIR Research Protocols
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:caf5a1f03f29ece90dd18d2e5ecf39ec464db3c905d5f7d15ee22f9d8fce0065b1021dc5b6fa81b247a87a94556d06bd935715de010cd3fa5ff4a626fa9684b9
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/230324/cdc_230324_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 881.30 KB ]