Iwuji Kenneth, Islam Ebtesam, Berdine Gilbert, Nugent Kenneth, Test Victor, Tijerina Amanda
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA.
University Medical Center Healthcare System, Lubbock, TX, USA.
J Prim Care Community Health. 2020 Jan-Dec;11:2150132720971390. doi: 10.1177/2150132720971390.
The ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has a major impact on first responders. Scarce personal protective equipment (PPE) has forced them to conserve and reuse some of their PPE. The efficacy of these practices in preventing transmission of COVID-19 from patients to first responders is unclear. There are limited data on the prevalence of antibodies specific for COVID-19 exposure in these front-line workers.
Our objective was to determine the prevalence of positive immunoglobulin G antibody specific to COVID-19 among first responders in Lubbock, Texas.
Blood samples were collected on 683 asymptomatic first responders who work in Lubbock, Texas and the surrounding area, after informed consents were signed. IgG antibody to SARS-CoV-2 was measured using Abbott's SARS-CoV-2 IgG Reagent Kit in combination with the SARS-CoV-2 IgG Calibrator Kit on the Abbott's ARCHITECT 1000SR analyzer.
The prevalence of IgG specific antibodies to COVID-19 was 0.73%, five of the 683 participants tested positive. Four of those who tested positive had no known prior SARS-CoV-2 infection or exposure without adequate PPE.
The prevalence of IgG specific antibodies to COVID-19 was much lower than expected in our study population despite high sensitivity and specificity of the test reagent. The most likely explanations for this finding include limited exposure, inadequate time for a IgG response, possible clearance of COVID-19 infection locally by the respiratory tract IgA defense system without eliciting a systemic IgG response, and short persistence of IgG antibodies in mild or asymptomatic cases.
持续的冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行对急救人员产生了重大影响。稀缺的个人防护装备（PPE）迫使他们节约并重复使用部分PPE。这些做法在预防COVID-19从患者传播给急救人员方面的效果尚不清楚。关于这些一线工作人员中针对COVID-19暴露的特异性抗体流行情况的数据有限。
我们的目标是确定得克萨斯州拉伯克市急救人员中针对COVID-19的阳性免疫球蛋白G抗体的流行率。
在获得知情同意后，采集了683名在得克萨斯州拉伯克市及周边地区工作的无症状急救人员的血样。使用雅培的SARS-CoV-2 IgG试剂试剂盒结合雅培ARCHITECT 1000SR分析仪上的SARS-CoV-2 IgG校准试剂盒检测针对严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）的IgG抗体。
针对COVID-19的特异性IgG抗体的流行率为0.73%，683名参与者中有5人检测呈阳性。检测呈阳性的人员中有4人此前无已知的SARS-CoV-2感染或在未使用足够PPE的情况下接触史。
尽管检测试剂具有高灵敏度和特异性，但在我们的研究人群中，针对COVID-19的特异性IgG抗体的流行率远低于预期。这一发现最可能的解释包括接触有限、产生IgG反应的时间不足、呼吸道IgA防御系统可能在局部清除COVID-19感染而未引发全身性IgG反应，以及在轻症或无症状病例中IgG抗体持续时间较短。
