Higher Infection Risk among Health Care Workers and Lower Risk among Smokers Persistent across SARS-CoV-2 Waves-Longitudinal Results from the Population-Based TiKoCo Seroprevalence Study

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was reported as substantially increased in medical personnel and decreased in smokers after the first wave in spring 2020, including in our population-based Tirschenreuth Study (TiKoCo). However, it is unclear whether these associations were limited to the early pandemic an...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2022-12, Vol.19 (24), p.16996
Main Authors: Günther, Felix, Einhauser, Sebastian, Peterhoff, David, Wiegrebe, Simon, Niller, Hans Helmut, Beileke, Stephanie, Steininger, Philipp, Burkhardt, Ralph, Küchenhoff, Helmut, Gefeller, Olaf, Überla, Klaus, Heid, Iris M, Wagner, Ralf
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antibodies
Antibodies, Neutralizing
Antibodies, Viral
Antibody response
Cohort analysis
COVID-19 - epidemiology
Health care
Health Personnel
Health risks
Humans
Immune system
Infections
longitudinal
Longitudinal Studies
Medical personnel
Occupations
Pandemics
Personal protective equipment
Population studies
Population-based studies
population-based study
Questionnaires
Risk
risk factors
SARS-CoV-2
Self report
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Serology
seroprevalence
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Smokers
Smoking
Spike protein
Vaccination
Viral diseases
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was reported as substantially increased in medical personnel and decreased in smokers after the first wave in spring 2020, including in our population-based Tirschenreuth Study (TiKoCo). However, it is unclear whether these associations were limited to the early pandemic and whether the decrease in smokers was due to reduced infection or antibody response. We evaluated the association of occupation and smoking with period-specific seropositivity: for the first wave until July 2020 (baseline, BL), the low infection period in summer (follow-up 1, FU1, November 2020), and the second/third wave (FU2, April 2021). We measured binding antibodies directed to SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein (N), viral spike protein (S), and neutralizing antibodies at BL, FU1, and FU2. Previous infection, vaccination, smoking, and occupation were assessed by questionnaires. The 4181 participants (3513/3374 at FU1/FU2) included 6.5% medical personnel and 20.4% current smokers. At all three timepoints, new seropositivity was higher in medical personnel with ORs = 1.99 (95%-CI = 1.36-2.93), 1.41 (0.29-6.80), and 3.17 (1.92-5.24) at BL, FU1, and FU2, respectively, and nearly halved among current smokers with ORs = 0.47 (95%-CI = 0.33-0.66), 0.40 (0.09-1.81), and 0.56 (0.33-0.94). Current smokers compared to never-smokers had similar antibody levels after infection or vaccination and reduced odds of a positive SARS-CoV-2 result among tested. Our data suggest that decreased seroprevalence among smokers results from fewer infections rather than reduced antibody response. The persistently higher infection risk of medical staff across infection waves, despite improved means of protection over time, underscores the burden for health care personnel.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph192416996