SARS-CoV-2 Seropositivity in Nursing Home Staff and Residents during the First SARS-CoV-2 Wave in Flanders, Belgium.

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 pos

SUBMITTER: De Rop L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11437469 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature