Seroprevalence of COVID-19 among voluntary blood donors
CONTEXT: COVID-19 usually presents with mild symptoms. No cases of transfusion – transmission of COVID-19 had been reported. Assessing the prevalence of viral infections among blood donors is essential to frame blood safety strategies. AIM: The main aim of this study is to assess the seroprevalence...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2024-01-01
|
| Series: | Asian Journal of Transfusion Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/ajts.ajts_91_23 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | CONTEXT:
COVID-19 usually presents with mild symptoms. No cases of transfusion – transmission of COVID-19 had been reported. Assessing the prevalence of viral infections among blood donors is essential to frame blood safety strategies.
AIM:
The main aim of this study is to assess the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among healthy and asymptomatic voluntary blood donors by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
SETTING AND DESIGN:
This cross-sectional study was conducted among voluntary blood donors using a consecutive sampling technique in the Department of Transfusion Medicine, the Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, Guindy, Chennai, for 18 months.
METHODS:
Adhering to COVID-19 pandemic guidelines and donor eligibility criteria, blood samples collected from 500 asymptomatic unvaccinated voluntary blood donors were tested for SARS-CoV-2 (IgG + IgM + IgA and IgG) antibodies by ELISA. Adding IgA to a conventional IgM and IgG serological test improves sensitivity.
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED:
The collected donor data were analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics software. Pearson’s Chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test were used. P = 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
RESULTS:
IgG seropositivity among the donors was 58.8%, and IgM + IgA seropositivity was 29.6%. There was no statistically significant difference in the COVID-19 IgG/IgM + IgA seropositivity status with age, gender, blood group, occupation, or socioeconomic status. The IgG and IgM/IgA/IgG ELISA kits showed a difference of 13 cases which could be attributed to the higher sensitivity of IgG alone ELISA kit. This increased the seroprevalence by 3%.
CONCLUSION:
The majority of donors were either IgG or IgM and IgA positive, despite remaining asymptomatic. The seropositivity rate coincided with the COVID-19 surge among population. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0973-6247 1998-3565 |