Asian J Transfus Sci. 2024 Jan-Jun;18(1):97-101. doi: 10.4103/ajts.ajts_91_23. Epub 2023 Nov 7.
ABSTRACT
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.
PMID:39036700 | PMC:PMC11259330 | DOI:10.4103/ajts.ajts_91_23
