Department of Pathology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Public Health Rep. 2023 Jan-Feb;138(1):140-148. doi: 10.1177/00333549221119143. Epub 2022 Sep 16.
First responders, including firefighters, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), paramedics, and law enforcement officers, are working on the front lines to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and facing an increased risk of infection. This study assessed the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among first responders in northeastern Ohio.
A survey and immunoglobulin G antibody test against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein were offered to University Hospitals Health System-affiliated first-responder departments during May to September 2020. The survey contained questions about demographic characteristics and history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. A total of 3080 first responders with diverse job assignments from more than 400 fire and police departments participated in the study.
Of 3080 participants, 73 (2.4%) were seropositive and 26 (0.8%) had previously positive real-time polymerase chain reaction results. Asymptomatic infection accounted for 46.6% (34 of 73) of seropositivity. By occupation, rates of seropositivity were highest among administration/support staff (3.8%), followed by paramedics (3.0%), EMTs (2.6%), firefighters (2.2%), and law enforcement officers (0.8%). Work-associated exposure rates to COVID-19 patients were: paramedics (48.2%), firefighters (37.1%), EMTs (32.3%), law enforcement officers (7.7%), and administration/support staff (4.4%). Self-reported community exposure was positively correlated with self-reported work-associated exposure rate (correlation coefficient = 0.99). Neither self-reported community nor work-associated exposure was correlated with SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence. We found no significant difference in seroprevalence among sex/gender or age groups; however, Black participants had a higher positivity rate than participants of other racial groups despite reporting lower exposure.
Despite the high work-associated exposure rate to SARS-CoV-2 infection, first responders with various roles demonstrated seroprevalence no higher than their administrative/supportive colleagues, which suggests infection control measures are effective in preventing work-related infection.
急救人员（包括消防员、紧急医疗技术员、护理人员和执法人员）奋战在抗击 COVID-19 大流行的第一线，面临着感染风险的增加。本研究评估了俄亥俄州东北部急救人员中 SARS-CoV-2 感染的血清流行率。
2020 年 5 月至 9 月，向隶属于大学医院卫生系统的急救部门提供了一项关于 SARS-CoV-2 核衣壳蛋白的调查和免疫球蛋白 G 抗体检测。调查包含了有关人口统计学特征和 SARS-CoV-2 感染史的问题。来自 400 多个消防和警察部门的 3080 名具有不同工作任务的急救人员参与了这项研究。
在 3080 名参与者中，73 人（2.4%）血清呈阳性，26 人（0.8%）之前的实时聚合酶链反应结果为阳性。无症状感染占血清阳性率的 46.6%（34/73）。按职业划分，行政管理/支持人员的血清阳性率最高（3.8%），其次是护理人员（3.0%）、紧急医疗技术员（2.6%）、消防员（2.2%）和执法人员（0.8%）。与 COVID-19 患者的工作相关接触率为：护理人员（48.2%）、消防员（37.1%）、紧急医疗技术员（32.3%）、执法人员（7.7%）和行政管理/支持人员（4.4%）。自我报告的社区接触与自我报告的工作相关接触率呈正相关（相关系数=0.99）。自我报告的社区或工作相关接触均与 SARS-CoV-2 血清阳性率无关。我们没有发现性别或年龄组之间血清阳性率有显著差异；然而，尽管接触率较低，黑人参与者的阳性率却高于其他种族群体。
尽管急救人员与 SARS-CoV-2 感染的高工作相关接触率，但具有各种角色的急救人员的血清阳性率并不高于他们的行政管理/支持性同事，这表明感染控制措施在预防与工作相关的感染方面是有效的。
