• Elizabeth Temkin and Healthcare Worker COVID-19 Surveillance Working Group.
• National Institute for Antibiotic Resistance and Infection Control, Israel Ministry of Health, Israel. Electronic address: lizt@tlvmc.gov.il.
• Clin. Microbiol. Infect. 2021 Jan 1; 27 (1): 130.e1-130.e4.

ObjectivesWe aimed to compare the prevalence of asymptomatic coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) among clinical staff in designated COVID-19 units versus that among staff in similar units with no known or suspected COVID-19 patients.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey of healthcare workers (HCWs) in eight Israeli general hospitals. The survey involved a questionnaire and a PCR test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We surveyed HCWs in COVID-19 units and comparison units (internal medicine and cardiology) between 30th April and 7th May 2020.ResultsThere were 522 participants: 291 from COVID-19 units and 231 from comparison units. Only one participant (0.2%, 95%CI: 0.005-1.1%)-an asymptomatic nurse on a COVID-19 unit-tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. In participating COVID-19 units there were two symptomatic HCWs with confirmed COVID-19 in the 2 weeks before the survey; both were infected by contact with a co-worker outside of the COVID-19 unit.ConclusionsThe low prevalence of asymptomatic COVID-19 among HCWs, coupled with an absence of symptomatic COVID-19 acquired during patient care, suggest that Israel's national guidelines for personal protective equipment, which are consistent with those of the World Health Organization, adequately protect HCWs.Copyright © 2020 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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