SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity in nursing home staff and residents during the first SARS-CoV-2 wave in Flanders, Belgium
- Author
- Liselore De Rop, Hanne Vercruysse, Ulysse Alenus, Judith Brusselmans, Steven Callens (UGent) , Maud Claeys (UGent) , Nimphe De Coene, Peter Persyn, Elizaveta Padalko (UGent) , Stefan Heytens (UGent) , Jan Y. Verbakel and Piet Cools (UGent)
- Organization
- Project
- Abstract
- (1)Background: early in the COVID-19 pandemic, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing was limited. Assessing seroprevalence helps understand prevalence and reinfection risk. However, such data are lacking for the first epidemic wave in Belgian nursing homes. Therefore, we assessed SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and cumulative RT-PCR positivity in Belgian nursing homes and evaluated reinfection risk. (2) Methods: we performed a cross-sectional study in nine nursing homes in April and May 2020. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated to compare the odds of (re)infection between seropositive and seronegative participants. (3) Results: seroprevalence was 21% (95% CI: 18–23): 22% (95% CI: 18–25) in residents and 20% (95% CI: 17–24) in staff. By 20 May 2020, cumulative RT-PCR positivity was 16% (95% CI: 13–21) in residents and 8% (95% CI: 6–12) in staff. ORs for (re)infection in seropositive (compared to seronegative) residents and staff were 0.22 (95% CI: 0.06–0.72) and 3.15 (95% CI: 1.56–6.63), respectively. (4) Conclusion: during the first wave, RT-PCR test programmes underestimated the number of COVID-19 cases. The reinfection rate in residents was 3%, indicating protection, while it was 21% in staff, potentially due to less cautious health behaviour. Future outbreaks should use both RT-PCR and serological testing for complementary insights into transmission dynamics.
- Keywords
- SARS-CoV-2, serology, nursing homes, COVID-19, seroprevalence, RT-PCR testing, reinfection, REINFECTION, INFECTION
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Citation
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-01J90ZGEPPVFGWJWMR127JNW8T
- MLA
- De Rop, Liselore, et al. “SARS-CoV-2 Seropositivity in Nursing Home Staff and Residents during the First SARS-CoV-2 Wave in Flanders, Belgium.” VIRUSES-BASEL, vol. 16, no. 9, 2024, doi:10.3390/v16091461.
- APA
- De Rop, L., Vercruysse, H., Alenus, U., Brusselmans, J., Callens, S., Claeys, M., … Cools, P. (2024). SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity in nursing home staff and residents during the first SARS-CoV-2 wave in Flanders, Belgium. VIRUSES-BASEL, 16(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/v16091461
- Chicago author-date
- De Rop, Liselore, Hanne Vercruysse, Ulysse Alenus, Judith Brusselmans, Steven Callens, Maud Claeys, Nimphe De Coene, et al. 2024. “SARS-CoV-2 Seropositivity in Nursing Home Staff and Residents during the First SARS-CoV-2 Wave in Flanders, Belgium.” VIRUSES-BASEL 16 (9). https://doi.org/10.3390/v16091461.
- Chicago author-date (all authors)
- De Rop, Liselore, Hanne Vercruysse, Ulysse Alenus, Judith Brusselmans, Steven Callens, Maud Claeys, Nimphe De Coene, Peter Persyn, Elizaveta Padalko, Stefan Heytens, Jan Y. Verbakel, and Piet Cools. 2024. “SARS-CoV-2 Seropositivity in Nursing Home Staff and Residents during the First SARS-CoV-2 Wave in Flanders, Belgium.” VIRUSES-BASEL 16 (9). doi:10.3390/v16091461.
- Vancouver
- 1.De Rop L, Vercruysse H, Alenus U, Brusselmans J, Callens S, Claeys M, et al. SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity in nursing home staff and residents during the first SARS-CoV-2 wave in Flanders, Belgium. VIRUSES-BASEL. 2024;16(9).
- IEEE
- [1]L. De Rop et al., “SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity in nursing home staff and residents during the first SARS-CoV-2 wave in Flanders, Belgium,” VIRUSES-BASEL, vol. 16, no. 9, 2024.
@article{01J90ZGEPPVFGWJWMR127JNW8T,
abstract = {{(1)Background: early in the COVID-19 pandemic, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing was limited. Assessing seroprevalence helps understand prevalence and reinfection risk. However, such data are lacking for the first epidemic wave in Belgian nursing homes. Therefore, we assessed SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and cumulative RT-PCR positivity in Belgian nursing homes and evaluated reinfection risk.
(2) Methods: we performed a cross-sectional study in nine nursing homes in April and May 2020. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated to compare the odds of (re)infection between seropositive and seronegative participants.
(3) Results: seroprevalence was 21% (95% CI: 18–23): 22% (95% CI: 18–25) in residents and 20% (95% CI: 17–24) in staff. By 20 May 2020, cumulative RT-PCR positivity was 16% (95% CI: 13–21) in residents and 8% (95% CI: 6–12) in staff. ORs for (re)infection in seropositive (compared to seronegative) residents and staff were 0.22 (95% CI: 0.06–0.72) and 3.15 (95% CI: 1.56–6.63), respectively.
(4) Conclusion: during the first wave, RT-PCR test programmes underestimated the number of COVID-19 cases. The reinfection rate in residents was 3%, indicating protection, while it was 21% in staff, potentially due to less cautious health behaviour. Future outbreaks should use both RT-PCR and serological testing for complementary insights into transmission dynamics.}},
articleno = {{1461}},
author = {{De Rop, Liselore and Vercruysse, Hanne and Alenus, Ulysse and Brusselmans, Judith and Callens, Steven and Claeys, Maud and De Coene, Nimphe and Persyn, Peter and Padalko, Elizaveta and Heytens, Stefan and Verbakel, Jan Y. and Cools, Piet}},
issn = {{1999-4915}},
journal = {{VIRUSES-BASEL}},
keywords = {{SARS-CoV-2,serology,nursing homes,COVID-19,seroprevalence,RT-PCR testing,reinfection,REINFECTION,INFECTION}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{9}},
pages = {{13}},
title = {{SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity in nursing home staff and residents during the first SARS-CoV-2 wave in Flanders, Belgium}},
url = {{http://doi.org/10.3390/v16091461}},
volume = {{16}},
year = {{2024}},
}
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