SARS-CoV-2 PCR and antibody positivity among school staff at the beginning and end of the first school term
Abstract Background There is controversy regarding the role of in-person attendance in schools and transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Several studies have demonstrated no increase in transmission, while some have reported large outbreaks with in-person attendance. We determined the incidence a...
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2021
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oai:doaj.org-article:d76978deb0464bb08af317fc3243c9f52021-11-14T12:14:32ZSARS-CoV-2 PCR and antibody positivity among school staff at the beginning and end of the first school term10.1186/s12889-021-12134-41471-2458https://doaj.org/article/d76978deb0464bb08af317fc3243c9f52021-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-12134-4https://doaj.org/toc/1471-2458Abstract Background There is controversy regarding the role of in-person attendance in schools and transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Several studies have demonstrated no increase in transmission, while some have reported large outbreaks with in-person attendance. We determined the incidence and risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection among school staff after one school term. Methods Nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) for SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR and blood for SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing were obtained from staff at a large international school in Qatar at the beginning of the 2020–2021 school year and repeated at the end of the first term. Results A total of 376 staff provided samples for testing. At the beginning of the 2020–2021 school year, the PCR positivity for SARS-CoV-2 was 13%, while seropositivity was 30.1%. A majority of those who tested positive either by PCR or serologically, were non-teaching staff. At the end of the first school term four months later, only 3.5% of the initially antibody-negative staff had seroconverted. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, male gender (OR 11.48, 95%CI 4.77–27.64), non-teaching job category (OR 3.09, 95%CI 1.10–8.64), contact with a confirmed case (OR 20.81, 95%CI 2.90–149.18), and presence of symptoms in the preceding 2 weeks [1–2 symptoms OR 4.82, 95%CI 1.79–12.94); ≥3 symptoms OR 42.30, 95%CI 3.76–476.43) independently predicted SARS-CoV-2 infection in school staff before school starting. Conclusion Male gender, non-teaching job, presence of symptoms, and exposure to a confirmed case were associated with higher risk of infection. These data can help policymakers in determining the optimal strategy for school reopening.Moza AlishaqAndrew JeremijenkoHanaa Nafady-HegoJameela Ali Al AjmiMohamed ElgendyAnil George ThomasPeter V. CoyleHamed ElgendyAbdul-Badi Abou-SamraAdeel A. ButtBMCarticleCOVID-19SARS-CoV-2QatarSchoolsPublic aspects of medicineRA1-1270ENBMC Public Health, Vol 21, Iss 1, Pp 1-6 (2021) |
| institution |
DOAJ |
| collection |
DOAJ |
| language |
EN |
| topic |
COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 Qatar Schools Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 |
| spellingShingle |
COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 Qatar Schools Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 Moza Alishaq Andrew Jeremijenko Hanaa Nafady-Hego Jameela Ali Al Ajmi Mohamed Elgendy Anil George Thomas Peter V. Coyle Hamed Elgendy Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra Adeel A. Butt SARS-CoV-2 PCR and antibody positivity among school staff at the beginning and end of the first school term |
| description |
Abstract Background There is controversy regarding the role of in-person attendance in schools and transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Several studies have demonstrated no increase in transmission, while some have reported large outbreaks with in-person attendance. We determined the incidence and risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection among school staff after one school term. Methods Nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) for SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR and blood for SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing were obtained from staff at a large international school in Qatar at the beginning of the 2020–2021 school year and repeated at the end of the first term. Results A total of 376 staff provided samples for testing. At the beginning of the 2020–2021 school year, the PCR positivity for SARS-CoV-2 was 13%, while seropositivity was 30.1%. A majority of those who tested positive either by PCR or serologically, were non-teaching staff. At the end of the first school term four months later, only 3.5% of the initially antibody-negative staff had seroconverted. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, male gender (OR 11.48, 95%CI 4.77–27.64), non-teaching job category (OR 3.09, 95%CI 1.10–8.64), contact with a confirmed case (OR 20.81, 95%CI 2.90–149.18), and presence of symptoms in the preceding 2 weeks [1–2 symptoms OR 4.82, 95%CI 1.79–12.94); ≥3 symptoms OR 42.30, 95%CI 3.76–476.43) independently predicted SARS-CoV-2 infection in school staff before school starting. Conclusion Male gender, non-teaching job, presence of symptoms, and exposure to a confirmed case were associated with higher risk of infection. These data can help policymakers in determining the optimal strategy for school reopening. |
| format |
article |
| author |
Moza Alishaq Andrew Jeremijenko Hanaa Nafady-Hego Jameela Ali Al Ajmi Mohamed Elgendy Anil George Thomas Peter V. Coyle Hamed Elgendy Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra Adeel A. Butt |
| author_facet |
Moza Alishaq Andrew Jeremijenko Hanaa Nafady-Hego Jameela Ali Al Ajmi Mohamed Elgendy Anil George Thomas Peter V. Coyle Hamed Elgendy Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra Adeel A. Butt |
| author_sort |
Moza Alishaq |
| title |
SARS-CoV-2 PCR and antibody positivity among school staff at the beginning and end of the first school term |
| title_short |
SARS-CoV-2 PCR and antibody positivity among school staff at the beginning and end of the first school term |
| title_full |
SARS-CoV-2 PCR and antibody positivity among school staff at the beginning and end of the first school term |
| title_fullStr |
SARS-CoV-2 PCR and antibody positivity among school staff at the beginning and end of the first school term |
| title_full_unstemmed |
SARS-CoV-2 PCR and antibody positivity among school staff at the beginning and end of the first school term |
| title_sort |
sars-cov-2 pcr and antibody positivity among school staff at the beginning and end of the first school term |
| publisher |
BMC |
| publishDate |
2021 |
| url |
https://doaj.org/article/d76978deb0464bb08af317fc3243c9f5 |
| work_keys_str_mv |
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