Introduction
Better understanding how hospital staff members (HSMs), including HCWs, were contaminated by SARS-CoV-2 during the first wave can help refining the control measures, in the context of the current second wave in Europe.
Methods
From March 5
th
to May 10
th
2020, the infectious diseases unit at Raymond-Poincaré teaching Hospital opened a weekday consultation dedicated to HSMs for a PCR testing. While in the waiting room, HSMs were offered to complete a questionnaire on their potential risk exposure to SARS-CoV-2.
Results
Of the 200 HSMs screened, 70 were positive. Ninety-nine HSMs (including 86 HCWs) completed the questionnaire of whom 28 cases positive. In the multivariable analysis among healthcare workers, age ≥ 44 years-old (aOR = 5.2, 95%CI [1.4-22.5]), not using a facemask systematically when caring for a patient (aOR = 13.9, 95%CI [1.8-293.0]), were significantly associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Conversely, working in a ward dedicated to COVID-19 patients (aOR = 0.7, 95%CI [0.2-3.2]) was not significantly associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Regarding community related exposures occurring in and outside the hospital among the HSMs, participation to meetings inside the hospital without wearing a facemask (aOR = 21.3, 95%CI [4.5-143.9]) and participation to private gathering (aOR = 10, 95%CI [1.3-91.0]) were significantly associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Conclusions
Our results support the effectiveness of barrier precautions, underline that in-hospital contaminations not related to patient care may occur, and that part of the contaminations may be related to exposures in the community. Better protecting HCWs against COVID-19 and thereby ensuring workforces is crucial to fight the current second wave of the epidemic.