COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, is a highly pathogenic emerging infectious disease. Healthcare personnel (HCP) are presumably at higher risk of acquiring emerging infections because of occupational exposure. The prevalence of COVID-19 in HCP is unknown, particularly in low- to middle-income countries like El Salvador. The goal of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among HCP in El Salvador just prior to vaccine rollout in March 2021. We evaluated 2176 participants from a nationally representative sample of national healthcare institutions. We found 40.4% (n = 880) of the study participants were seropositive for anti-spike protein antibodies. Significant factors associated with infection included younger age; living within the central, more populated zone of the country; living in a larger household (≥7 members); household members with COVID-19 or compatible symptoms; and those who worked in auxiliary services (i.e., housekeeping and food services). These findings provide insight into opportunities to mitigate SARS-CoV-2 risk and other emerging respiratory pathogens in HCP in El Salvador.

On July 15, 2021, the Secretary of Health of Honduras (SHH) was notified of an unexpected number of mucormycosis cases among COVID-19 patients. SHH partnered with the Honduras Field Epidemiology Training Program, the Executive Secretariat of the Council of Ministers of Health of Central America and the Dominican Republic (SE-COMISCA), Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and CDC to investigate mucormycosis cases at four geographically distinct hospitals in Honduras. | | Mucormycosis is a severe, often fatal disease caused by infection with angioinvasive molds belonging to the order Mucorales. Risk factors for mucormycosis include certain underlying medical conditions (e.g., hematologic malignancy, stem cell or solid organ transplantation, or uncontrolled diabetes) and the use of certain immunosuppressive medications (1). COVID-19 might increase mucormycosis risk because of COVID-19–induced immune dysregulation or associated medical treatments, such as systemic corticosteroids and other immunomodulatory drugs (e.g., tocilizumab), which impair the immune response against mold infections (2). In India, an apparent increase in mucormycosis cases (which was referred to by the misnomer “black fungus”) was attributed to COVID-19 (3).