Betül BORKU UYSAL, Serap YAVUZER, Mehmet Sami İSLAMOĞLU, Mahir CENGİZ

SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence in healthcare personnel during the pandemic's peak: The experience of single hospital

Serological severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies determination in healthcare personnels with a increased risk of infection is important for detecting asymptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and post-disease immunity. Purpose of study were to determine the seroprevelance of healthcare personnels with COVID-19 in university hospital. 439 healthcare personnels working at Biruni University Medical Faculty Hospital between March 2020 to January 2021 were included to the study. All participants were divided into groups based on the results of their immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against novel coronavirus in blood test, collecting nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and thorax computed tomography (CT). Group 1: Antibody positivity and RT- PCR negativity, Group 2: RT-PCR positivity without lung involvement, Group 3: RT-PCR positivity with lung involvement. The RT-PCR positivity was detected as 32.8 % (n=144) in all healthcare personnels, 68.8 % of RT-PCR positive healthcare personnels were symptomatic and 15.3 % of them had lung involvement. The IgG antibody positivity was detected as 41 % (n=180) in all healthcare personnels. The antibody positivity (p=0.353) and titers were similar in the healthcare personnels (p=0.361). Risk of COVID-19 and contagiousness is high in healthcare personnels under pandemic conditions. Additionally the antibody positivity and antibody titer are higher in those who have symptomatic disease compared to those who have asymptomatic.

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