Screening for SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies among healthcare workers: A single-center study in Egypt

The Egyptian Journal of Immunology
Volume 30 (4), October, 2023
Pages: 86 – 92.
www.Ejimmunology.org
https://doi.org/10.55133/eji.300409
Mai H. S. Mohammad1, Adel A. Hassan2, Nader Nemr2, Maha Anani1, Amany Waheed3, Marwa Fouad4, Mohamed Greash5, and Fadia M. Attia1

1Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.

2Department of Infectious & Endemic Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.

3Department of Occupational Medicine & Environmental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.

4Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.

5Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.

Corresponding author:
Maha Anani, Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt, P.O. 41522.
Email: mahaenany77@gmail.com.

 

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become a global public health disaster, spreading throughout the world. In order to accurately determine the extent of the pandemic, it is important to accurately identify the prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among healthcare workers (HCWs). This study intended to determine the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among HCWs and examine its correlation with the demographic characteristics of the study participants prior to the implementation of the vaccination campaign. In this cross-sectional study included 431 HCWs from Suez Canal University Hospital in Ismailia, Egypt. Their sera were screened for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using a one-step novel coronavirus (COVID-19) IgM/IgG antibody test from Artron, Canada. Positive cases were then confirmed using nasal swab real-time reverse transcriptase PCR from Viasure, Spain. Of the 431 study participants, 254 (58.9%) were males and 177 (41.1%) females. The majority of participants, 262 (60.8%), were younger than 30 years old, 150 (34.8%) between 30 and 40 years old, and only 19 (4.4%) older than 40 years old. Out of the total samples, 26 (6%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 IgM, while 19 (4.4%) tested positive for both IgM and IgG. The majority of the samples, 386 (89.6%), tested negative for both IgG and IgM. There was no association between the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 and either sex or age of study participants. In conclusion, during the study period, the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers at Suez Canal University Hospital in Egypt was relatively low. Additionally, there was no significant correlation observed between the prevalence of positive cases and either age or sex.

Keywords:
Novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 IgM, SARS-CoV-2 IgG, immune response, antibodies screening, rapid test

Date received:
09 April 2023; accepted: 16 August 2023

PMID:
37794631

 

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