Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Healthcare Workers and Nursing Students: Incidence, Adherence to Vaccination and Effects of Vaccines

Author(s): Delicado-Useros Victoria, Navarro-Rodenas Esther, Ortega-Martínez Carmen, Pérez-Domenech Teresa, García-Alcaraz Francisco, Pérez-Serra Juan Daniel and Sánchez-Onrubia Indalecio Miguel

Objective: To evaluate the incidence of COVID-19 in two groups, health personnel and nursing students, their adherence to vaccination and the effects of the vaccines 6 months after complete vaccination.

Methods: Observational study in healthcare workers in Spain during 2021. It was conducted with a sample of 179 healthcare workers and 120 nursing students. A self-administered questionnaire and a venous blood sample collected 6 months after the vaccination were used. A descriptive bivariate analysis was performed with parametric or nonparametric tests.

Results: Of the professionals, 83.1% had occupational exposure to COVID-19, with 19.3% contracting the disease, while 42.5% of the students had contact with the disease, with 13.6% contracting it. Mild clinical symptoms predominated. After vaccination, the incidence of COVID-19 was 2.8% in the professionals and 2.5% in the students. A total of 96.7% of the professionals and 100% of the students had been vaccinated. The immune response was positive in both cases, with mean IgG values of 3017.4 AU/ml for health professionals and 2484.6 for students, with higher levels in those with a history of infection.

Conclusions: The immune response showed reactivity in 100% of the cases. Compliance with vaccination was very high in both groups.