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COVID-19 Exposure Among First Responders in Arizona
Vershalee Shukla1, Christine S M Lau, Mikayla Towns
1Vincere Cancer Center, Scottsdale, Arizona (Dr Shukla, Dr Lau, Ms Towns, Ms Mayer, Dr Prichard); Phoenix Fire Department, City of Phoenix, Phoenix, Arizona (Fire Chief Kalkbrenner, Fire Captain Beuerlein); United Phoenix Firefighters Association, Phoenix, Arizona (Fire Captain Beuerlein).
Objective:
The number of COVID-19 cases in Arizona is rapidly increasing, leading the country in the rate of new daily cases. Exposure among first responders remains unknown.
Methods:
Rates of SARS-CoV-2 IgG among first responders in Arizona were determined, and attitudes/views about the impact of COVID-19 on their work life was analyzed.
Results:
Of 3326 first responders, 50 (1.50%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 IgG. Most first responders thought antibody testing would help ease their anxieties (62.5%) and be beneficial to their work-life (60.6%).
Conclusion:
The rate of COVID-19 exposure among first responders in Arizona is low-1.50%. COVID-19 is a concern among many of the first responders, and antibody testing was beneficial in easing their anxieties about going to work and performing work-related duties.
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