Screening of healthcare workers for SARS-CoV-2 highlights the role of asymptomatic carriage in COVID-19 transmission

Significant differences exist in the availability of healthcare worker (HCW) SARS-CoV-2 testing between countries, and existing programmes focus on screening symptomatic rather than asymptomatic staff. Over a 3 week period (April 2020), 1032 asymptomatic HCWs were screened for SARS-CoV-2 in a large UK teaching hospital. Symptomatic staff and symptomatic household contacts were additionally tested. Real-time RT-PCR was used to detect viral RNA from a throat+nose self-swab. 3% of HCWs in the asymptomatic screening group tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. 17/30 (57%) were truly asymptomatic/pauci-symptomatic. 12/30 (40%) had experienced symptoms compatible with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)>7 days prior to…

• W
  Wellcome

  Awards: 206298/B/17/Z, 108070/Z/15/Z, 215515/Z/19/Z, 207498?Z/17/Z, 210688/Z/18/Z, 200871/Z/16/Z
• NB
  NHS Blood and Transplant

  Award: WPA15-02
• WT
  Wellcome Trust

  Awards: 108070/Z/15/Z, 215515, 210688/Z/18/Z, 200871/Z/16/Z, Z/17/Z, 206298/B/17/Z, 207498, /Z/15/Z, 207498/Z/17/Z, 206298, 215515/Z/19/Z
• UR
  UK Research and Innovation
• CR
  Cancer Research UK

  Awards: PRECISION Grand Challenge C38317/A24043, C38317, C38317/A24043
• NI
  National Institute for Health and Care Research

  Award: 207498
• AO
  Academy of Medical Sciences
• UO
  University of Oxford
• MR
  Medical Research Council

  Awards: MC_PC_12009, CSF MR/P008801/1, MR/P008801/1, MC_PC_17230, MR/P008801/1, MR/V011561/1, COVID-19
• EA
  Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

  Awards: EP/P031447/1, EP/P031447/1, EP/N031938/1, EP/N031938/1, EP/N031938
• AC
  Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust, Cambridge University Hospitals
• NC
  NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre