tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Front Public Health
. 2020 Dec 7;8:595348.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.595348. eCollection 2020.
Quantitative SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Screening of Healthcare Workers in the Southern Part of Kyoto City During the COVID-19 Pre-pandemic Period
Kohei Fujita[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Shinpei Kada[SUP] 2 3 [/SUP], Osamu Kanai[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Hiroaki Hata[SUP] 2 4 [/SUP], Takao Odagaki[SUP] 2 5 [/SUP], Noriko Satoh-Asahara[SUP] 6 7 [/SUP], Tetsuya Tagami[SUP] 6 7 [/SUP], Akihiro Yasoda[SUP] 6 7 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is associated with a heavy burden on the mental and physical health of patients, regional healthcare resources, and global economic activity. While understanding of the incidence and case-fatality rates has increased, there are limited data concerning seroprevalence of antibodies against the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in healthcare workers during the pre-pandemic period. This study aimed to quantitatively evaluate seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in healthcare workers in the southern part of Kyoto city, Japan. Methods: We prospectively recruited healthcare workers from a single hospital between April 10 and April 20, 2020. We collected serum samples from these participants and quantitatively evaluated SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results: Five (5.4%), 15 (16.3%), and 72 (78.3%) participants showed positive, borderline, and negative serum SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody status, respectively. We found the mean titer associated with each antibody status (overall, positive, borderline, and negative) was clearly differentiated. Participants working at the otolaryngology department and/or with a history of seasonal common cold symptoms had a significantly higher SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody titer (p = 0.046, p = 0.046, respectively). Conclusions: Five (5.4%) and 15 (16.3%) participants tested positive and borderline, respectively, for SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody during the COVID-19 pre-pandemic period. These rates were higher than expected, based on government situation reports. These findings suggest that COVID-19 had already spread within the southern part of Kyoto city at the early stage of the pandemic.
Keywords: COVID-19; ELISA; SARS-CoV-2; antibody; seroprevalence.
. 2020 Dec 7;8:595348.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.595348. eCollection 2020.
Quantitative SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Screening of Healthcare Workers in the Southern Part of Kyoto City During the COVID-19 Pre-pandemic Period
Kohei Fujita[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Shinpei Kada[SUP] 2 3 [/SUP], Osamu Kanai[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Hiroaki Hata[SUP] 2 4 [/SUP], Takao Odagaki[SUP] 2 5 [/SUP], Noriko Satoh-Asahara[SUP] 6 7 [/SUP], Tetsuya Tagami[SUP] 6 7 [/SUP], Akihiro Yasoda[SUP] 6 7 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33365297
- PMCID: PMC7750354
- DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.595348
Abstract
Background: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is associated with a heavy burden on the mental and physical health of patients, regional healthcare resources, and global economic activity. While understanding of the incidence and case-fatality rates has increased, there are limited data concerning seroprevalence of antibodies against the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in healthcare workers during the pre-pandemic period. This study aimed to quantitatively evaluate seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in healthcare workers in the southern part of Kyoto city, Japan. Methods: We prospectively recruited healthcare workers from a single hospital between April 10 and April 20, 2020. We collected serum samples from these participants and quantitatively evaluated SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results: Five (5.4%), 15 (16.3%), and 72 (78.3%) participants showed positive, borderline, and negative serum SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody status, respectively. We found the mean titer associated with each antibody status (overall, positive, borderline, and negative) was clearly differentiated. Participants working at the otolaryngology department and/or with a history of seasonal common cold symptoms had a significantly higher SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody titer (p = 0.046, p = 0.046, respectively). Conclusions: Five (5.4%) and 15 (16.3%) participants tested positive and borderline, respectively, for SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody during the COVID-19 pre-pandemic period. These rates were higher than expected, based on government situation reports. These findings suggest that COVID-19 had already spread within the southern part of Kyoto city at the early stage of the pandemic.
Keywords: COVID-19; ELISA; SARS-CoV-2; antibody; seroprevalence.