Tests show levels of Covid-19 in Valencia region

A SEROPREVALENCE study to detect Covid-19 antibodies in people who have been infected has been carried out on more than 56,000 health workers in the Valencia region.

Regional health councillor Ana Barceló revealed that the overall prevalence of the coronavirus among them was found to be only 3.21%, according to an advance of the final report which will be issued when the study, which started in April, has been competed in all the healthcare areas.

This underlines the results of the ministry for health’s nationwide seroprevalence testbodies, ing, which indicated that Valencia is among the five regions with the lowest incidences of the virus, at 2.5% of the general population compared to the 5% national average.

The regional study was voluntary and offered to all medical and non-medical personnel, of whom a total of 56,372 people from various professions participated.

It was extended to also include 6,639 workers for external companies that provide services in healthcare centres, and to 206 members of the National Police and Guardia Civil.

Immunochromatography was used to detect the antiwhich if found were confirmed using ELISA-CLIA testing.

The provisional results, which go up to May 19, found that Alicante had the highest infection rate of the three provinces, with 747 positives out of 20,421 participants (3.66%), compared to 3.21% in Castellón and 3.05% in Valencia.

By profession, medical practitioners were found to have the highest prevalence with 503 out of 13,528 testing positive (3.72%); followed by auxiliary nursing care technicians (TCAE), who returned 316 positives out of 9,304 tested (3.4%); then nurses with 534 out of 16,144 (3.31%).

Among hospital porters there were 130 positives out of 3,961 tested (3.28%), while for non-medical professions only technicians exceeded 3% with 62 out of 1,951 (3.18%), and administrative personnel recorded 121 out of 4,933 (2.45%).

Sra Barceló also explained that the region has been increasing the diagnostic capacity of its laboratories for PCR testing. The number of tests carried out in May was up 97% on the previous month, and by Wednesday a total of 236,435 PCR tests had been carried out (341,408 including ‘rapid tests’).