Key result
Among 1,012 Swiss hospital workers, the true seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was 1.0%, highlighting the low positive predictive value of lateral-flow immunoassays in low-prevalence settings.
Cohort (n=1,012)
Yes
In a Swiss hospital worker cohort during the early COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was low (1%), and lateral-flow immunoassays demonstrated poor positive predictive value.
Positive lateral-flow results require confirmatory testing in low-prevalence settings; leaves open optimal serologic strategies for healthcare workers.
In this prospective cohort of 1,012 Swiss hospital employees, 3 different assays were used to screen serum for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Seropositivity was 1%; the positive predictive values of the lateral-flow immunoassay were 64% (IgG) and 13% (IgM). History of fever and myalgia most effectively differentiated seropositive and seronegative participants.
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Köhler et al. (2020) conducted a cohort in SARS-CoV-2 infection (n=1,012). Hospital work / SARS-CoV-2 exposure was evaluated on True seropositivity for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Among 1,012 Swiss hospital workers, the true seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was 1.0%, highlighting the low positive predictive value of lateral-flow immunoassays in low-prevalence settings.
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