Mohammadi Zahra, Eghtesad Sareh, Hashemi-Shahri Seyed Mohammad, Tabatabaei Seyed Mehdi, Sharafkhah Maryam, Poustchi Hossein
Liver and Pancreatobiliary Diseases Research Center, Digestive Diseases Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Health Promotion Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran.
Middle East J Dig Dis. 2021 Jan;13(1):67-70. doi: 10.34172/mejdd.2021.206. Epub 2021 Mar 2.
BACKGROUND COVID-19 infection has led to a worldwide pandemic, and new cases are on the rise. Intravenous drug users (IVDU) are presumably at a higher risk of being infected since they have poor personal hygiene, live in groups, and have risky behaviors. The current study aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence of COVID-19 in IVDU in comparison with non-drug users (N-DU). METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted on 167 IVDU and 134 N-DU. A questionnaire gathering data on demographics, comorbidities, and use of personal protective equipment was administered to all participants. In addition, 5 cc of blood was taken from each individual to test for SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies (Pishtaz Teb SARS-Cov-2 ELISA kits). RESULTS The mean age of N-DU and IVDU were 38.9 ± 12.9 and 40.38 ± 10.24 years, respectively. COVID-19 seroprevalence in IVDU was 9.7%, and 4.8% in N-DU, but this finding was not statistically significant ( = 0.096). CONCLUSION While the seroprevalence of COVID-19 was not significantly different among the two groups, IVDU should still be considered by policymakers as a high-risk group due to their lifestyle and risky behaviors. Providing personal protective equipment and other means of protection and treatment to this population can help mitigate the spread of and mortality from COVID-19.
新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID-19）感染已导致全球大流行，新病例不断增加。静脉吸毒者（IVDU）因个人卫生差、群居且存在危险行为，推测感染风险更高。本研究旨在评估与非吸毒者（N-DU）相比，IVDU中COVID-19的血清流行率。方法：对167名IVDU和134名N-DU进行了这项横断面研究。向所有参与者发放了一份收集人口统计学、合并症和个人防护装备使用情况数据的问卷。此外，从每个人身上采集5毫升血液，检测新型冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）特异性抗体（Pishtaz Teb SARS-Cov-2 ELISA试剂盒）。结果：N-DU和IVDU的平均年龄分别为38.9±12.9岁和40.38±10.24岁。IVDU中COVID-19的血清流行率为9.7%，N-DU中为4.8%，但这一结果无统计学意义（P = 0.096）。结论：虽然两组中COVID-19的血清流行率无显著差异，但由于其生活方式和危险行为，政策制定者仍应将IVDU视为高危人群。为该人群提供个人防护装备以及其他防护和治疗手段有助于减轻COVID-19的传播和死亡率。
