Diagnosis of COVID-19 based on symptomatic analysis of hospital healthcare workers in Belgium : observational study in a large Belgian tertiary care center during early COVID-19 outbreak
- Author
- Nele Van Loon, Mathieu Verbrugghe (UGent) , Reinoud Cartuyvels and Dirk Ramaekers
- Organization
- Abstract
- Objective: To identify early symptoms allowing rapid appraisal of infection with SARS-CoV-2 among healthcare workers of a large Belgian hospital. Methods: Healthcare workers with mild symptoms of an acute respiratory tract infection were systematically screened on clinical characteristics of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A nasopharyngeal swab was taken and analyzed by real-time Reverse-Transcription-Polymerase-Chain-Reaction (rRT-PCR). Results: Fifty percent of 373 workers tested COVID-19 positive. The symptoms cough (82%), headache (78%), myalgia (70%), loss of smell or taste (40%), and fever more than or equal to 37.5 degrees C (76%) were significantly higher among those infected. Conclusion: Where each individual symptom contributes to the clinical evaluation of possible infection, it is the combination of COVID-19 symptoms that could allow for a rapid diagnostic appraisal of the disease in a high prevalence setting. Early transmission control is important at the onset of an epidemic.
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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-8738193
- MLA
- Van Loon, Nele, et al. “Diagnosis of COVID-19 Based on Symptomatic Analysis of Hospital Healthcare Workers in Belgium : Observational Study in a Large Belgian Tertiary Care Center during Early COVID-19 Outbreak.” JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE, vol. 63, no. 1, 2021, pp. 27–31, doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000002015.
- APA
- Van Loon, N., Verbrugghe, M., Cartuyvels, R., & Ramaekers, D. (2021). Diagnosis of COVID-19 based on symptomatic analysis of hospital healthcare workers in Belgium : observational study in a large Belgian tertiary care center during early COVID-19 outbreak. JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE, 63(1), 27–31. https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000002015
- Chicago author-date
- Van Loon, Nele, Mathieu Verbrugghe, Reinoud Cartuyvels, and Dirk Ramaekers. 2021. “Diagnosis of COVID-19 Based on Symptomatic Analysis of Hospital Healthcare Workers in Belgium : Observational Study in a Large Belgian Tertiary Care Center during Early COVID-19 Outbreak.” JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE 63 (1): 27–31. https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000002015.
- Chicago author-date (all authors)
- Van Loon, Nele, Mathieu Verbrugghe, Reinoud Cartuyvels, and Dirk Ramaekers. 2021. “Diagnosis of COVID-19 Based on Symptomatic Analysis of Hospital Healthcare Workers in Belgium : Observational Study in a Large Belgian Tertiary Care Center during Early COVID-19 Outbreak.” JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE 63 (1): 27–31. doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000002015.
- Vancouver
- 1.Van Loon N, Verbrugghe M, Cartuyvels R, Ramaekers D. Diagnosis of COVID-19 based on symptomatic analysis of hospital healthcare workers in Belgium : observational study in a large Belgian tertiary care center during early COVID-19 outbreak. JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE. 2021;63(1):27–31.
- IEEE
- [1]N. Van Loon, M. Verbrugghe, R. Cartuyvels, and D. Ramaekers, “Diagnosis of COVID-19 based on symptomatic analysis of hospital healthcare workers in Belgium : observational study in a large Belgian tertiary care center during early COVID-19 outbreak,” JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE, vol. 63, no. 1, pp. 27–31, 2021.
@article{8738193, abstract = {{Objective: To identify early symptoms allowing rapid appraisal of infection with SARS-CoV-2 among healthcare workers of a large Belgian hospital. Methods: Healthcare workers with mild symptoms of an acute respiratory tract infection were systematically screened on clinical characteristics of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A nasopharyngeal swab was taken and analyzed by real-time Reverse-Transcription-Polymerase-Chain-Reaction (rRT-PCR). Results: Fifty percent of 373 workers tested COVID-19 positive. The symptoms cough (82%), headache (78%), myalgia (70%), loss of smell or taste (40%), and fever more than or equal to 37.5 degrees C (76%) were significantly higher among those infected. Conclusion: Where each individual symptom contributes to the clinical evaluation of possible infection, it is the combination of COVID-19 symptoms that could allow for a rapid diagnostic appraisal of the disease in a high prevalence setting. Early transmission control is important at the onset of an epidemic.}}, author = {{Van Loon, Nele and Verbrugghe, Mathieu and Cartuyvels, Reinoud and Ramaekers, Dirk}}, issn = {{1076-2752}}, journal = {{JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE}}, language = {{eng}}, number = {{1}}, pages = {{27--31}}, title = {{Diagnosis of COVID-19 based on symptomatic analysis of hospital healthcare workers in Belgium : observational study in a large Belgian tertiary care center during early COVID-19 outbreak}}, url = {{http://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000002015}}, volume = {{63}}, year = {{2021}}, }
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