ANTI - SARS-CoV-2 ANTIBODY SCREENING IN HEALTH CARE WORKERS AND ITS CORRELATION WITH CLINICAL PRESENTATION

Background: Antibody titration and the life span of the antibody against SARS-CoV-2 have been found to be determined by the clinical presentation as well. The extent of exposure of health care workers and the general public to SARS-CoV-2 needs to be assessed to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, this study is an attempt in assessing the anti-SARs-COV-2 antibody in health care workers. Methods: This laboratory-based cross-sectional study was performed in Manmohan Memorial Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu from November 2020 to January 2021. A total of 185 HCWs were screened for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody in the blood serum specimens . A structured questionnaire was administered to collect information from HCWs. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody screening was performed using a lateral flow immunoassay. Data were analyzed according to standard statistical methods using SPSS version 20. Results: A total of 185 HCWs were participated in the study, among which 41 (22.2%) of them tested positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody. Among the 41 individuals who tested positive, 37 of them tested positive for IgG only and 4 of them tested positive for both IgM and IgG antibodies. Presence of history of SARS-CoV-2 infection (p<0.001), presence of flu-like symptoms within the last 6 months (p<0.001), and presence of positive contact history (p=0.002) were statistically significant with antibody screening among HCWs. Conclusion: The burden of SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers seems to be high and HCWs are at risk of acquiring infection in the workplace. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody screening among health care workers is highly recommended in multiple healthcare settings that can help in monitoring transmission dynamics and evaluation of infection control policies.