Hospital healthcare workers (HCW), in particular those involved in the clinical care of COVID-19 cases, are presumably exposed to a higher risk of acquiring the disease than the general population. Between April 16 and 30, 2020 we conducted a prospective, SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence study in HCWs in Southern Switzerland. Participants were hospital personnel with varying COVID-19 exposure risk depending on job function and working site. They provided personal information (including age, sex, occupation, and medical history) and self-reported COVID-19 symptoms. Odds ratio (OR) of seropositivity to IgG antibodies was estimated by univariate and multivariate logistic regressions. Among 4726 participants, IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 were detected in 9.6% of the HCWs. Seropositivity was higher among HCWs working on COVID-19 wards (14.1% (11.9–16.5)) compared to other hospital areas at medium (10.7% (7.6–14.6)) or low risk exposure (7.3% (6.4–8.3)). OR for high vs. medium wards risk exposure was 1.42 (0.91–2.22), P = 0.119, and 1.98 (1.55–2.53), P<0.001 for high vs. low wards risk exposure. The same was for true for doctors and nurses (10.1% (9.0–11.3)) compared to other employees at medium (7.1% (4.8–10.0)) or low risk exposure (6.6% (5.0–8.4)). OR for high vs. medium profession risk exposure was 1.37 (0.89–2.11), P = 0.149, and 1.75 (1.28–2.40), P = 0.001 for high vs. low profession risk exposure. Moreover, seropositivity was higher among HCWs who had household exposure to COVID-19 cases compared to those without (18.7% (15.3–22.5) vs. 7.7% (6.9–8.6), OR 2.80 (2.14–3.67), P<0.001). SARS-CoV-2 antibodies are detectable in up to 10% of HCWs from acute care hospitals in a region with high incidence of COVID-19 in the weeks preceding the study. HCWs with exposure to COVID-19 patients have only a slightly higher absolute risk of seropositivity compared to those without, suggesting that the use of PPE and other measures aiming at reducing nosocomial viral transmission are effective. Household contact with known COVID-19 cases represents the highest risk of seropositivity. Henry Krenter Foundation, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale and Vir Biotechnology.

We are very grateful to Professor Spiegelhalter for providing an opportunity to discuss this important issue further.

Background: Assessing the burden of COVID-19 based on medically-attended case counts is suboptimal given its reliance on testing strategy, changing case definitions and the wide spectrum of disease presentation. Population-based serosurveys provide one avenue for estimating infection rates and monitoring the progression of the epidemic, overcoming many of these limitations. Methods: Taking advantage of a pool of adult participants from population-representative surveys conducted in Geneva, Switzerland, we implemented a study consisting of 8 weekly serosurveys among these participants and their household members older than 5 years. We tested each participant for anti-SARS-CoV-2-IgG antibodies using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Euroimmun AG, Lübeck, Germany). We estimated seroprevalence using a Bayesian regression model taking into account test performance and adjusting for the age and sex of Geneva’s population. Results: In the first three weeks, we enrolled 1335 participants coming from 633 households, with 16% <20 years of age and 53.6% female, a distribution similar to that of Geneva. In the first week, we estimated a seroprevalence of 3.1% (95% CI 0.2-5.99, n=343). This increased to 6.1% (95% CI 2.69.33, n=416) in the second, and to 9.7% (95% CI 6.1-13.11, n=576) in the third week. We found that 5-19 year-olds (6.0%, 95% CI 2.3-10.2%) had similar seroprevalence to 20-49 year olds (8.5%, 95%CI 4.99-11.7), while significantly lower seroprevalence was observed among those 50 and older (3.7%, 95% CI 0.99-6.0, p=0.0008). Interpretation: Assuming that the presence of IgG antibodies is at least in the short-term associated with immunity, these results highlight that the epidemic is far from burning out simply due to herd immunity. Further, no differences in seroprevalence between children and middle age adults are observed. These results must be considered as Switzerland and the world look towards easing restrictions aimed at curbing transmission.

This study is grounded in Allport's intergroup contact theory and Herek's sexual prejudice theory. We aimed at (a) investigating the mediational role of sexism and homonegativity on the relation between gender, age, and contact with gay and lesbian people with gender stereotypes about gay men and lesbians; and (b) replicating and corroborating the direct associations found in previous research among these variables. The present research used secondary data from a survey conducted by the Italian National Institute of Statistics and comprehending a representative sample of 5,863 Italian adults. The results from path analysis indicated that both homonegativity and sexism partially mediated the effect of gender and age on gender stereotypes, whereas they totally mediated the effect of contact with gay and lesbian persons. Findings suggest that reducing sexist and homonegative attitudes and increasing contact with gay and lesbian people may reduce stereotypical beliefs about homosexual people.

This study evaluated whether the Test of Gross Motor Development 3 (TGMD-3) is a reliable tool to compare children with and without mental and behavioral disorders across gross motor skill domains. A total of 1,075 children (aged 3-11 years), 98 with mental and behavioral disorders and 977 without (typically developing), were included in the analyses. The TGMD-3 evaluates fundamental gross motor skills of children across two domains: locomotor skills and ball skills. Two independent testers simultaneously observed children's performances (agreement over 95%). Each child completed one practice and then two formal trials. Scores were recorded only during the two formal trials. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis tested the assumption of TGMD-3 measurement invariance across disability groups. According to the magnitude of changes in root mean square error of approximation and comparative fit index between nested models, the assumption of measurement invariance across groups was valid. Loadings of the manifest indicators on locomotor and ball skills were significant (p < .001) in both groups. Item response theory analysis showed good reliability results across locomotor and the ball skills full latent traits. The present study confirmed the factorial structure of TGMD-3 and demonstrated its feasibility across normally developing children and children with mental and behavioral disorders. These findings provide new opportunities for understanding the effect of specific intervention strategies on this population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).