Author/Authors :
Armin, Shahnaz Pediatric Infections Research Center - Research Institute for Children’s Health - Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Karbasian, Fereshteh Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine - Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Hoseinialfatemi, Mahsan Pediatric Infections Research Center - Research Institute for Children’s Health - Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Mansour Ghanaie, Roxana Pediatric Infections Research Center - Research Institute for Children’s Health - Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Rafiei Tabatabae, Sedigheh Pediatric Infections Research Center - Research Institute for Children’s Health - Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Fahimzad, Alireza Pediatric Infections Research Center - Research Institute for Children’s Health - Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Rajabnejad, Maryam Pediatric Infections Research Center - Research Institute for Children’s Health - Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Khanbabaee, Ghamartaj Department of Pediatric Pulmonology - Mofid Children’s Medical Center - Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Vaghefi, Soheila Sadat Mofid Children’s Hospital - Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Imanzadeh, Farid Pediatric Gastroenterology - Hepatology and Nutrition Research Center - Research Institute for Children Health - Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Maham, Saeed Pediatric Infections Research Center - Research Institute for Children’s Health - Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Razmara, Raheleh Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery - Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Karimi, Abdollah Pediatric Infections Research Center - Research Institute for Children’s Health - Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Eshghi, Peyman Blood Transfusion Research Center - High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran , Maghsudlu, Mahtab Blood Transfusion Research Center - High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran , Arabkhazaeli , Ali Blood Transfusion Research Center - High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran
Abstract :
Background: In December 2019, a new coronavirus appeared in China, as a cause of acute respiratory disease. Healthcare Work-ers (HCWs) in children’s hospitals are one of the groups who are at a high rate of exposure to COVID-19 patients. The detection of antibodies is useful and helps diagnose late or recent SARS-CoV-2 infection. Most children may present with asymptomatic or mild SARS-CoV-2 infection and can be silent sources of infection in the community and hospitals.
Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the antibodies (IgM and IgG) against SARS-CoV-2 in Mofid children’s hospital sta .
Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated 475 sta from Mofid children’s hospital from April 20 to May 5, 2020, in Tehran. We collected blood samples for the antibody assay with a rapid test kit. A questionnaire was used to collect demographic and clinical data.
Results: Of 475 sta who participated in this study, 25 (5.3%) were diagnosed with COVID-19 by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and/or CT scan. Besides, 140 (29.4%) of them were positive for IgM and/or IgG SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.
Conclusions: The seropositivity of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 among children’s hospital sta was higher than expected. Ap-proximately 5% of the participants were diagnosed as definitive positive COVID-19 cases by PCR and/or CT scan, but 29.4% of them were seropositive. The di erence is a warning, as it shows seropositive people could be silent sources of transmission during asymp-tomatic infection.
