Prevalence of subclinical infection by the SARS coronavirus among general practitioners in Hong Kong.
Eight general practitioners had severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (SARS) in Hong Kong during the epidemic, and others may have been infected by the SARS coronavirus without developing the full syndrome. We conducted a serological and questionnaire survey to determine the prevalence of subclinical infection by SARS coronavirus among general practitioners in Hong Kong. Participants had to be doctors actively practising in family medicine and who did not have SARS. Approximately 3200 general practitioners were invited to participate and the results of 574 were eligible for analysis. 29 samples were tested positive by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, but all these samples had titre < 25 by immunoflorescence assay. The prevalence for seropositivity was thus 0% (95% CI, 0.0%-0.6%). This finding documents the lack of subclinical infection by SARS coronavirus in an at-risk group in the community.
Yu
Wai Cho
WC
Department of Medicine, Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China. yuwc@ha.org.hk
Tsang
Thomas Ho Fai
TH
Tong
Wing Lok
WL
Ng
Tak Keung
TK
Lim
Wilina
W
Yeung
Henry Chiu Fat
HC
To
Wing Kin
WK
Lam
Bosco
B
Tsang
Dominic Ngai Chong
DN
Ho
Thomas Ock Ling
TO
Lai
Sik To
ST
Tong
Kwok Lung
KL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010821:Physicians, Family; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000914:Antibodies, Viral