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?:abstract
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Introduction Information on the effectiveness of personal protective equipment (PPE) for preventing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among healthcare workers (HCWs), especially among HCWs with frequent contact with patients with SARS-CoV-2, is limited Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study on 49 HCWs who worked in close contact with patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection HCWs had blood samples taken every 2 weeks to test for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using two different types of assay Results Forty-nine participants (31 nurses, 15 doctors, 3 other workers) were enrolled In total, 112 blood samples are obtained from participants The median work days in 2 weeks was 9 (interquartile range (IQR): 5-10) days In a single work day, 30 of the 49 participants (61 5%) had contact with patients with suspected or conformed SARS-CoV-2 at least 8 times, and approximately 60% of participants had more than 10 minutes of contact with a single patient The median self-reported compliance to PPE was 90% (IQR: 80-100%) Seven participants tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibody using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA);however, none were seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody, so the positive ELISA results were assumed to be false-positive Conclusions The study provides evidence that appropriate PPE is sufficient to prevent infection amongHCWs It is necessary to establish a system that provides a stable supply of PPE for HCWs to perform their duties
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