Official Title
Study of Prevalence of the Covid-19 Among the Staff of the Emergency Department
Brief Summary

Since December 2019, a new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has been identified in the city ofWuhan in Hubei province in China and is the cause of a global pandemic. This highlycontagious virus is responsible for the COVID-19 disease, the manifestations of which canrange from a simple flu-like syndrome to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is mainly linked to droplets. The mode of transmission ofSARS-CoV-2 involves at least droplet-type isolation for caregivers with wearing asurgical mask and extended contact type (overcoats, caps, gloves). During procedures witha high risk of aerosolization of viral particles (intubation, aerosols, aspirations,nasopharyngeal swabs), wearing an FFP2 mask and protective glasses are recommended. Inaddition, oxygen therapy, particularly at a flow rate greater than 6 L/min, could alsolead to airborne contamination.The occupational risk of contamination of health professionals is well identified,particularly in Chinese but also Italian studies. In Italy, 20% of healthcare workershave been contaminated. In China, a rate of 3.5 to 29% in Wuhan hospitals has beenidentified.Among the professionals exposed within the hospital, those in emergency services are partof the category with the greatest risk of contamination along with those in intensivecare units. Recommendations from experts from the French intensive care society andforeign companies made it possible to identify the situations most at risk ofcontamination. In addition, the organization has made it possible to better understandpatient care circuits in order to limit the risks of contamination. However, proceduralerrors may exist, implying the need for frequent training sessions for professionals. Inaddition, if the recommendations specify the need to obtain negative pressure in therooms or at least zero, the material limits linked to reception in emergency departmentswith the need for intubation of a significant number of patients sometimes makes itdifficult to carry out these risky actions under optimal conditions. Finally, the methodsof sorting suspected cases to organize care in areas different from other emergencypatients do not prevent assignment errors, a source of contamination for caregivers andpatients.Thus, health professionals are among the priority people to be screened in accordancewith the recommendations of the High Authority of Health. Indeed, even if symptomatichealthcare workers were mostly screened at least by taking a nasopharyngeal swab, somehealthcare workers were able to develop immunity to the disease without having beensymptomatic. The number of asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 is significant, but theproportion is not yet clearly identified. In addition, massive screening of symptomaticand non-symptomatic healthcare workers would make it possible to reduce the number ofnososcomial contamination. Determining the serological status of healthcare workers is apriority, particularly in services on the front line of caring for patients withCOVID-19, such as emergency structures.

Detailed Description

The aim of the study is to study the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV2 among healthcare
personnel in the emergency services of the Strasbourg University Hospitals and the
Besançon University Hospital.

Recruiting
COVID-19
Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

- Adult (≥18 years old)

- Part of the emergency staff of the HUS or Besançon University Hospital having worked
during the period of the covid-19 pandemic, from March 1, 2020 to May 31, 2020.

- Having carried out serology within the framework of the recommendations of the High
Authority of Health of May 2, 2020 on the screening of caregivers

- Having given consent for its biological resources to be reused for research purposes

Exclusion Criteria:

- Subject having expressed opposition to participating in the study

Eligibility Gender
All
Eligibility Age
Minimum: 18 Years ~ Maximum: N/A
Countries
France
Locations

Service d'Accueil des Urgences - CHU de Strasbourg - France
Strasbourg, France

Investigator: Sabrina Garnier Kepka, MD
Contact: 33 3 69 55 13 35
Sabrina.GARNIER-KEPKA@chru-strasbourg.fr

Contacts

Sabrina Garnier Kepka, MD
33 3 69 55 13 35
Sabrina.GARNIER-KEPKA@chru-strasbourg.fr

Not Provided

University Hospital, Strasbourg, France
NCT Number
Keywords
Covid-19
COVID-19 pandemic
Emergency services
MeSH Terms
COVID-19
Emergencies