Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Binding and Neutralizing Antibodies in Healthcare Workers during the Epidemic Peak in Referral Hospitals and Quarantine Sites: Saudi Arabia

Rowa Y Alhabbab; Ahdab Alsaieedi; Abdullah Algaissi; Sara Almahboub; Rajaa M Al-Raddadi; Omaima I Shabouni; Rahaf Alhabbab; Abdulelah A Alfaraj; Sawsan S Alamri; Najwa D Aljehani; Rwaa H Abdulal; Mohamed A Alfaleh; Turki S Abujamel; Almohanad A Alkayyal; Ahmad Bakur Mahmoud; Adel M Abuzenadah; Anwar M Hashem

doi:10.3390/v13071413

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Binding and Neutralizing Antibodies in Healthcare Workers during the Epidemic Peak in Referral Hospitals and Quarantine Sites: Saudi Arabia

Viruses. 2021 Jul 20;13(7):1413. doi: 10.3390/v13071413.

Authors

Rowa Y Alhabbab^{1

2}, Ahdab Alsaieedi^{1

2}, Abdullah Algaissi^{3

4}, Sara Almahboub¹, Rajaa M Al-Raddadi⁵, Omaima I Shabouni⁶, Rahaf Alhabbab⁷, Abdulelah A Alfaraj⁸, Sawsan S Alamri¹, Najwa D Aljehani^{1

9}, Rwaa H Abdulal^{1

10}, Mohamed A Alfaleh^{1

11}, Turki S Abujamel^{1

2}, Almohanad A Alkayyal¹², Ahmad Bakur Mahmoud¹³, Adel M Abuzenadah², Anwar M Hashem^{1

14}

Affiliations

¹ Vaccines and Immunotherapy Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
² Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
³ Department of Medical Laboratories Technology, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ Medical Research Center, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia.
⁵ Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ Ministry of Health, Jeddah 23325, Saudi Arabia.
⁷ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, King Fahad General Hospital, Jeddah 23325, Saudi Arabia.
⁸ Department of Phlebotomy, Blood Bank & Laboratory, King Fahad General Hospital, Jeddah 23325, Saudi Arabia.
⁹ Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
¹⁰ Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
¹¹ Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
¹² Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, University of Tabuk, Tabuk 71491, Saudi Arabia.
¹³ College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Almadinah Almunwarah 42353, Saudi Arabia.
¹⁴ Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at high risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to the general population. Here, we aimed to evaluate and characterize the SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity rate in randomly collected samples among HCWs from the largest referral hospitals and quarantine sites during the peak of the COVID-19 epidemic in the city of Jeddah, the second largest city in Saudi Arabia, using a cross-sectional analytic study design. Out of 693 participants recruited from 29 June to 10 August 2020, 223 (32.2%, 95% CI: 28.8-35.8) were found to be confirmed seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, and among those 197 (88.3%) had never been diagnosed with COVID-19. Seropositivity was not significantly associated with participants reporting COVID-19 compatible symptoms as most seropositive HCW participants 140 (62.8%) were asymptomatic. The large proportion of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 cases detected in our study demands periodic testing as a general hospital policy.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; HCWs; Jeddah; SARS-CoV-2; anti-S Abs; seroprevalence.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Animals
Antibodies, Neutralizing
Antibodies, Viral / immunology
Asymptomatic Infections
COVID-19 / epidemiology*
COVID-19 / immunology
COVID-19 / virology
COVID-19 Serological Testing
Chlorocebus aethiops
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Health Personnel / statistics & numerical data
Humans
Infection Control
Male
Middle Aged
Quarantine
Referral and Consultation
SARS-CoV-2 / immunology*
Saudi Arabia / epidemiology
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Vero Cells

Substances

Antibodies, Neutralizing
Antibodies, Viral

Grants and funding

GCV19-45-1441/King Abdulaziz University