Abstract
Objective: This study investigated seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG antibodies, using the Abbott antinucleocapsid IgG chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) assay, in five prespecified healthcare worker (HCW) subgroups following the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Setting: An 800-bed tertiary-level teaching hospital in the south of Ireland.
Participants: Serum was collected for anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid IgG using the Abbott ARCHITECT SARS-CoV-2 IgG CMIA qualitative assay, as per the manufacturer’s specifications.The groups were as follows: (1) HCWs who had real-time PCR (RT-PCR) confirmed COVID-19 infection (>1-month postpositive RT-PCR); (2) HCWs identified as close contacts of persons with COVID-19 infection and who subsequently developed symptoms (virus not detected by RT-PCR on oropharyngeal/nasopharyngeal swab); (3) HCWs identified as close contacts of COVID-19 cases and who remained asymptomatic (not screened by RT-PCR); (4) HCWs not included in the aforementioned groups working in areas determined as high-risk clinical areas; and (5) HCWs not included in the aforementioned groups working in areas determined as low-risk clinical areas.
Results: Six of 404 (1.49%) HCWs not previously diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection (groups 2-5) were seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 at the time of recruitment into the study.Out of the 99 participants in group 1, 72 had detectable IgG to SARS-CoV-2 on laboratory testing (73%). Antibody positivity correlated with shorter length of time between RT-PCR positivity and antibody testing.Quantification cycle value on RT-PCR was not found to be correlated with antibody positivity.
Conclusions: Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in HCWs who had not previously tested RT-PCR positive for COVID-19 was low compared with similar studies.
Keywords: COVID-19; diagnostic microbiology; epidemiology; infection control.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, infection control, Epidemiology, Diagnostic microbiology, 【초록키워드】 antibodies, SARS-CoV-2, IgG, infection control, Antibody testing, antibody, SARS-COV-2 infection, COVID-19 pandemic, hospital, Seroprevalence, Infection, diagnostic, Symptom, RT-PCR, virus, anti-SARS-CoV-2, healthcare worker, Laboratory testing, immunoassay, serum, SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, SARS-CoV-2 antibody, Asymptomatic, COVID-19 infection, Real-time PCR, nucleocapsid, HCWs, CMIA, Ireland, recruitment, group, First wave, seropositive, SARS-CoV-2 IgG, PCR positivity, close contact, COVID-19 cases, Abbott, HCW, subgroup, COVID-19 case, specific IgG antibodies, participant, Confirmed COVID-19 infection, South, SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG, positive, similar studies, Microparticle, FIVE, nucleocapsid IgG, tested, investigated, remained, detectable, diagnosed, was collected, screened, correlated, with COVID-19, 【제목키워드】 hospital, healthcare worker, SARS-CoV-2 antibody,