Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar; Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt.
Int J Infect Dis. 2021 Apr;105:621-625. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2021.03.012. Epub 2021 Mar 9.
Mortuary and cemetery workers may be exposed to the bodies of people with SARS-CoV-2 infection; however, prevalence of infection among these groups is unknown.
Nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) for RT-PCR and serologic testing for SARS-CoV-2 were performed on mortuary and cemetery workers in Qatar. Data on specific job duties, living conditions, contact history, and clinical course were gathered. Environmental sampling was carried out to explore any association with infection. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with infection.
Forty-seven mortuary workers provided an NPS and seven (14.9%) were PCR positive; 32 provided a blood sample and eight (25%) were antibody positive, six (75%) who were seropositive were also PCR positive. Among the 81 cemetery workers, 76 provided an NPS and five (6.6%) were PCR positive; 64 provided a blood sample and 22 (34.4%) were antibody positive, three (13.6%) who were seropositive were also PCR positive. Three (22.2%) and 20 (83.3%) of the infected mortuary and cemetery workers were asymptomatic, respectively. Age <30 years (OR 4.9, 95% CI 1.7-14.6), community exposure with a known case (OR 4.7, 95% CI 1.7-13.3), and presence of symptoms in the preceding 2 weeks (OR 9.0, 95% CI 1.9-42.0) were independently associated with an increased risk of infection (PCR or antibody positive). Of the 46 environmental and surface samples, all were negative or had a Ct value of >35.
A substantial proportion of mortuary and cemetery workers had evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, which was incidentally detected upon serologic testing. These data are most consistent with community acquisition rather than occupational acquisition.
太平间和公墓工作人员可能会接触到感染 SARS-CoV-2 的人体；然而，这些人群的感染率尚不清楚。
对卡塔尔的太平间和公墓工作人员进行了鼻咽拭子（NPS）的 RT-PCR 和 SARS-CoV-2 血清学检测。收集了特定工作职责、生活条件、接触史和临床病程的数据。进行了环境采样以探索与感染的任何关联。使用逻辑回归分析确定与感染相关的因素。
47 名太平间工作人员提供了 NPS，7 人（14.9%）PCR 阳性；32 人提供了血液样本，8 人（25%）抗体阳性，6 名（75%）血清阳性者 PCR 也呈阳性。在 81 名公墓工人中，76 人提供了 NPS，5 人（6.6%）PCR 阳性；64 人提供了血液样本，22 人（34.4%）抗体阳性，3 名（13.6%）血清阳性者 PCR 也呈阳性。3 名（22.2%）和 20 名（83.3%）受感染的太平间和公墓工人无症状。年龄<30 岁（OR 4.9，95%CI 1.7-14.6）、有社区暴露史且有已知病例（OR 4.7，95%CI 1.7-13.3）以及在前 2 周有症状（OR 9.0，95%CI 1.9-42.0）与感染风险增加独立相关（PCR 或抗体阳性）。在 46 个环境和表面样本中，均为阴性或 Ct 值>35。
相当一部分太平间和公墓工作人员有 SARS-CoV-2 感染的证据，这是在血清学检测中偶然发现的。这些数据最符合社区获得而不是职业获得。
