SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Healthcare Personnel and Their Household Contacts at a Tertiary Academic Medical Center: Protocol for a Longitudinal Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND Healthcare personnel are at high risk for exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. While personal protective equipment may mitigate this risk, prospective data collection on its use and other risk factors for seroconversion in this population is needed. OBJECTIVE The primary objectives of this study are to (1) determine the incidence of and risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare personnel at a tertiary medical center and (2) actively monitor personal protective equipment use, interactions between study participants via electronic sensors, secondary cases in households, and participant mental health and well-being. METHODS To achieve these objectives, we designed a prospective, observational study of SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare personnel and their household contacts at an academic tertiary care medical center in North Carolina. Enrolled healthcare personnel completed frequent surveys on symptoms and work activities and provided serum and nasal samples for SARS-CoV-2 testing every two weeks. Additionally, interactions between participants and their movement within the clinical environment were captured with a smartphone app and Bluetooth sensors. Finally, a subset of participants' households was randomly selected every two weeks for further investigation and enrolled households provided serum and nasal samples via at-home collection kits. RESULTS As of December 31, 2020, 211 healthcare personnel and 53 household participants have been enrolled. Recruitment and follow-up are ongoing and expected to continue through March 2021. CONCLUSIONS Much remains to be learned regarding the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare personnel and their household contacts. Through the use of a multi-faceted prospective study design and a well-characterized cohort, we will collect critical information regarding SARS-CoV-2 transmission risks in the healthcare setting and its linkage to the community. CLINICALTRIAL