COVID-19 Pandemic and Frontline Health Care Workers in Armenia: A Multi-Center Study

Abstract

Abstract Background From the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global medical community has put remarkable efforts to contain the burden of disease.Study aimTo assess the seroprevalence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and its associated factors among frontline health care workers (HCW) in hospitals and primary healthcare (PHC) facilities in Armenia. MethodsWe implemented a cross-sectional study, where we collected blood samples for antibody testing and conducted a phone survey. We applied a clustered sampling strategy and selected the three largest public hospitals and 10 of the largest PHC facilities providing care to COVID-19 patients. FindingsOverall, 1148 HCW were included in the study, 769 from the hospitals. The prevalence of antibodies was higher among those HCWs who reported having close contact with COVID-19 patients versus those who did not have close contact (14.7% vs 9.17). HCWs from the hospitals were more than 2 times (OR = 2.28, 0.22 – 0.74, p < 0.002) and HCWs from ICU departments were more than 4 times (OR = 4.49, 0.33 – 1.95, p < 0.001) likely to have positive COVID-19 antibodies compared to those working in the PHC facilities. In the hospital setting the only risk factor significantly associated with having COVID-19 antibodies was having close contacts with COVID-19 patients (OR = 2.95; 95% CI: 1.32 – 6.52, p=0.008).ConclusionOur study demonstrated the importance of infection-control practices within healthcare facilities. Early detection or screening programs for HCWs to decrease in-hospital transmission and the role of proper PPE usage are the most effective approach to control the infection.