Recent studies have shown that some individuals may be asymptomatic but continue to shed the COVID-19 virus. These individuals may represent a population that can unknowingly transmit the virus. Healthcare workers (HCW) may acquire COVID-19 from the community or from possibly infected patients. It is important to gather data with respect to this to further understand the prevalence of asymptomatic carriage in individuals who work in research facilities, offices and clinical areas of hospitals and research facilities/institutes since this has important implications for infection control, as well as staff and patient safety. The purpose of this study is to test whether a proportion of these individuals may be asymptomatic shedders of the COVID-19 virus.
Healthcare workers of participating institutions who agree to be participants will: * Fill out some information about participants into a database portal system. Participants will have the ability to check their COVID-19 test results via the portal. * Have nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs done for COVID-19 testing. This can be done about once a week for up to 8 weeks (about 1-8 swabs total). * Provide optional blood samples to look for COVID-19 specific antibodies and/or proteins at the time of enrollment and after 8 weeks. * Fill out questionnaires about participant exposures and travel history, occupation category, any symptoms in the past 21 days, whether they have provided any face-to-face care of a known COVID-19 positive patients in past 14 days or if participants have any children at home who are less than 12 years of age. * Fill out an optional questionnaire about their mental health * Be contacted by telephone if participants are tested positive, to determine whether participants have symptoms of COVID-19, and for the results of any follow-up COVID-19 testing that may have been done.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
7,373
Nasopharyngeal swab for COVID-19
Fill out questionnaires regarding exposures and travel history, occupation category, any symptoms in the past 21 days, any face-to-face care of a known COVID-19 positive patients in past 14 days or any children at home who are less than 12 years of age.
Provide blood samples to look for COVID-19 specific antibodies and/or proteins at the time of enrollment and after 8 weeks.
Fill out an optional mental health questionnaire.
Provide saliva sample anonymously.
Panbio nasal swab rapid antigen test
University Health Network
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Percentage of healthcare workers who are asymptomatic while COVID-19 positive
To determine whether asymptomatic individuals who work within a food production, healthcare, research or clinical organizationmay shed CoV during the pandemic. We hypothesize that a small proportion (\~1-10%) of these asymptomatic individuals may be CoV+ either because they are in the incubation period prior to symptoms or remain asymptomatic for the duration of infection.
Time frame: 2 years
Prevalence of any COVID-19 variants of concern in asymptomatic workers
To assess the prevalence of any COVID-19 variants of concern in asymptomatic workers.
Time frame: 2 years
Spread of any COVID-19 variants of concern in asymptomatic workers
To help determine the validity of the Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test and the saliva sample COVID-19 test by conducting these tests alongside the NP swab test.
Time frame: 2 years
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