SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity among pediatric health care personnel after the first peak of the pandemic: nationwide surveillance in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Understanding SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among health care personnel is important to explore risk factors for transmission, develop elimination strategies and form a view on the necessity and frequency of surveillance in the future. METHODS: We enrolled 4927 health care personnel working in pediatric units at 32 hospitals from 7 different regions of Turkey in a study to determine SARS Co-V-2 seroprevalence after the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. A point of care serologic lateral flow rapid test kit for immunoglobulin (Ig)M/IgG was used. Seroprevalence and its association with demographic characteristics and possible risk factors were analyzed. RESULTS: SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity prevalence in health care personnel tested was 6.1%. Seropositivity was more common among those who did not universally wear protective masks (10.6% vs 6.1%). Having a COVID-19-positive co-worker increased the likelihood of infection. The least and the most experienced personnel were more likely to be infected. Most of the seropositive health care personnel (68.0%) did not suspect that they had previously had COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: Health surveillance for health care personnel involving routine point-of-care nucleic acid testing and monitoring personal protective equipment adherence are suggested as important strategies to protect health care personnel from COVID-19 and reduce nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

Native valve endocarditis due to Candida albicans in two children: Two new case reports.

Candida endocarditis (CE) is a rare and serious complication of candidemia. Using current diagnostic tools a confirmed diagnosis is often delayed and outcomes remain poor. The majority of new cases occur following cardiac valvular surgery, and/or in patients with the following risk factors: intravenous drug use, cancer chemotherapy, prolonged presence of central venous catheters, and prior history of bacterial endocarditis. It is not a common complication in non-neutropenic patients particularly with the absence of a prosthetic valve, and very few reports in the literature are available. Attempting to add to the limited data, 211 candidemia episodes from 172 nonneutropenic pediatric cases between January 2008 and December 2017 were evaluated. All patients were considered asymptomatic for underlying heart disease. However, 2 (0.9%) patients with a central venous catheter were determined as having endocarditis following echocardiography.