18.5% of Hospital Healthcare Workers in Armenia Have Tested Positive for Coronavirus Antibodies

A study has been conducted on the presence of COVID-19 antibodies among healthcare workers in Armenia. This has been reported by the Ministry of Health.

The study included two main components: antibody testing and a survey. The antibody testing involved blood sampling and serological examination in laboratory conditions. The data collection took place from June 12 to July 16, 2020. A single hospital participated at the end of May.

In the serological study, 1,148 healthcare workers from 14 healthcare facilities were included, comprising 4 hospitals and 10 primary healthcare (PHC) institutions. Among these healthcare workers, 14.98% were found to have COVID-19 antibodies.

A total of 774 healthcare workers from 13 healthcare facilities participated in the survey, including 3 hospitals and 10 primary healthcare (PHC) institutions. The total number of participants from the hospital staff included in the study was 769, with 18.5% (n=142) testing positive for COVID-19 antibodies. In contrast, from the participants in the primary healthcare institutions, which totaled 379, 7.9% (n=30) were found to have COVID-19 antibodies.

Among the previously PCR confirmed COVID-19 cases, antibodies were detected in 77.4% of the 31 participants, while 22.6% did not show any antibodies.

The proportion of confirmed COVID-19 cases among hospital healthcare workers was highest in April, while for PHC workers, it was in May—indicating that this was when they began treating COVID-19 patients without sufficient experience in using protective equipment.

The study revealed that the overall prevalence of antibodies among healthcare workers was approximately three times higher than the previously confirmed PCR prevalence of COVID-19. This discrepancy was more pronounced among hospital healthcare workers (4.0 times higher antibody prevalence compared to PCR confirmed COVID-19 cases) than among those in primary healthcare institutions (2.3 times higher antibody prevalence).

According to the study results, the prevalence of antibodies was greater among radiologists than in other professional groups in the primary healthcare sector.

The preliminary data indicated that the majority of participants with COVID-19 antibodies reported experiencing the main symptoms associated with the disease, including sore throat, cough, shortness of breath, fever, fatigue, muscle pain, joint pain, loss of taste and smell, loss of appetite, and diarrhea, more frequently than those without antibodies (with statistically significant differences).

According to the survey results, the overwhelming majority of participants follow the principal measures for controlling and preventing infections.

This program was made possible through the joint efforts of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia and the Faculty of Public Health at the American University of Armenia.

The research team expresses gratitude to the participants for their time, cooperation, and support, as well as to the nursing staff and laboratory personnel of the Republican Center for the Prevention of AIDS of the RA Ministry of Health. Special thanks to UNAIDS for providing resources for testing, laboratory, and fieldwork. Additionally, appreciation is extended to the National Institute of Health named after Academician S. Avdalbekyan of the RA Ministry of Health for their support during the data collection phase and organizational fieldwork.