A Pilot Assessment of the COVID-19 Antibody Status and Associated Factors, in Individuals Employed by a Large Acute NHS Trust During the Coronavirus Pandemic

The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic has had a huge impact on healthcare resources and staff in the UK. Understanding the key risk factors associated with infection amongst healthcare workers is essential for future pandemic response plans.

Currently there are scarce data relating to the infection rates and associated factors amongst healthcare workers in the United Kingdom (UK). Studies of infection rates in healthcare workers have largely relied on the real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test to date and it appears that Healthcare workers are twice as likely to succumb to Coronavirus infection, when compared to the general population and those from Black and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds appear to be particularly at risk.

Currently there is no evidence that the presence of SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) antibodies provides seasonal or long term immunity to future infection.

Therefore, this study aims to understand the current level of SARS-CoV-2 antibody positivity and try to determine the likely risk to healthcare workers in the UK to COVID-19 infection. This study hopes to find out whether certain individual characteristics will have an impact on likelihood of infection susceptibility and antibody response and determine the impact of the presence of antibodies on the likelihood of future clinical infection over a 12 month period.

The study involves an initial online survey and linkage to the recent antibody test, then a further online survey in 6 and 12 months' time. The data obtained will be linked to data that the Human Resources Department (HR) holds.

Participants also have the option to partake in another antibody test at 6 and 12 months' time and linked to the data collected.