Aim: Describe the rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection to patients and healthcare workers according to the practice or not of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) prior to the performance of respiratory functional testing (RFT).

Methods: Retrospective descriptive study in patients who underwent RFT and in the health personnel who carried them out in the Respiratory Department of the University Hospital Arnau de Vilanova (UHAV) and University Hospital Santa Maria (UHSM) of Lleida between April-June 2022. The RFT was performed with previous PCR at UHAV and without previous PCR at UHSM. Sociodemographic characteristics and clinical data (RFT reason, previous COVID-19 infection, COVID-19 infection within 10 days after the RFT, and vaccination status) were evaluated. A questionnaire was also completed by healthcare personnel to identify their infection rate.

Results: A total of 970 RFT were analyzed. In UHAV, the population was predominantly women (50.7%) and vaccinated (91.0%). One third (33.4%) had previous infection and the post-RFT infection rate was 0.49%. The most frequent reasons for RFT were asthma (22.0%), interstitial disease (20.9%) and COPD (7.1%). In contrast, in UHSM, the population was predominantly men (67.3%), vaccinated (85.5%) and the contagion rate was 0.28% (p > 0.05). The main reasons for RFT were post-covid control (57.6%), COPD (19.9%) and bronchiectasis (11.8%). There were 7 healthcare personnel interviewed (UHAV n=3 and UHSM n=4), mostly vaccinated. The post-RFT infection was 1 professionel at the UHAV and 0 at the UHSM.

Conclusions: the non-use of PCR prior to RFT does not result in increased COVID-19 transmission to patients nor to healthcare workers.