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Meyerhardt JA, Yue H, Nowak RP, Brais L, Ma C, Johnson S, Harrod J, Burman SSR, Hendrickson LM, Fischinger S, Alter G, Hahn W, Johnson BE, Fischer ES. Serological testing for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies of employees shows low transmission working in a cancer center. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0266791. [PMID: 35413078 PMCID: PMC9004747 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic led to emergency measures to continue patient care and research at a comprehensive cancer center while protecting both employees and patients. Determining exposure and infection rates with SARS-CoV-2 were important to adjust workplace policies over time. METHODS Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) has over 7,000 employees. Participation was voluntary. After consent, participants completed questionnaire of demographics, exposures and risk factors for COVID-19 illness at each time point (baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months) along with blood draws for SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing. Primary measure was determination of titers of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein IgG over time. RESULTS In total, 745 employees enrolled from May 2020 to February 2021 (mean [SD] age, 40[14] years; 572[80%] women). From May to July 2020, 47 of 519 employees (9.2%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 6.7-12.0%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 spike protein IgG antibodies. Three months later, 40 of 428 employees had positive antibodies (8.5%, 95% CI 6.0-11.0%) with 17 newly positive. At month 6, 78.5% of participants reported having received at least one dose of vaccine and the positivity rate for those vaccinated was 98% (95% CI, 95-100%). Spike protein IgG titers for those vaccinated were 7.9 times higher than participants not vaccinated (median IgG titer = 0.28 for positive antibody but not vaccinated versus 2.2 for vaccinated) but demonstrate evidence of waning over time. CONCLUSIONS SARS-CoV-2 antibody positivity remained less than 10% at a single comprehensive cancer center prior to vaccination and there is evidence of waning IgG titers over time after vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey A. Meyerhardt
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Hong Yue
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Radosław P. Nowak
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Lauren Brais
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Chao Ma
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Samantha Johnson
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Joanna Harrod
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Shourya S. Roy Burman
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Lynn M. Hendrickson
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Stephanie Fischinger
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Galit Alter
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - William Hahn
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Bruce E. Johnson
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Eric S. Fischer
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
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