The impact of hospital attendance on COVID-19 infection in cancer patients: an assessment of data from Guy's Cancer

Objective: The authors monitored positivity rates of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 tests during the second wave of COVID-19 at Guy's Cancer Centre. Methods: Logistic regression was used to investigate factors associated with asymptomatic COVID positivity rates between 1 December 2020 and 28 February 2021 (n = 1346). Results: Living 20–40 km and 40–60 km from the alpha variant was associated with a reduced chance of a positive SARS-CoV-2 test compared with 0–20 km (odds ratio [OR]: 0.20; CI: 0.07–0.53 and OR: 0.38; CI: 0.15–0.98, respectively). An increased number of tests was associated with an increased chance of a positive SARS-CoV-2 test (OR: 1.10; CI: 1.04–1.16). Conclusion: The COVID-19 positivity rate of asymptomatic cancer patients is partly due to increased testing, with some contribution from the proximity of the patient population to the epicenter of the alpha variant.