ORIGINAL ARTICLE Serological Profiles of SARS-Cov-2 among Adult Outpatients and Caregivers of a Family Medicine Clinic in Northern Nigeria

West Afr J Med. September 2023; 40 (9): 950-955

Abstract

Background: Serological evaluation is essential for investigating the extent of COVID-19 in the studied population and evaluating the potential effectiveness of serum antibodies as a protective factor against future disease.

Objective: The study aimed to provide data on the seroprevalence and pattern of immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the associated factors among outpatients and their caregivers.

Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 208 patients and caregivers who presented at the Family Medicine Clinic. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on sociodemographic and COVID-19-related factors. The SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were assayed with the Realy Tech Rapid Test Device. Inferential statistical analyses were used to determine the associations between SARS-CoV-2 antibody outcomes and other variables.

Results: The ages of the participants ranged from 18 to 80 years, with a mean age of 38.87± 11.82 years and with female preponderance. The crude prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity was 20.7% (95% CI=1.14-1.28); of which 17.1% was for IgG, 2.9% for IgM, and 0.7% for both IgG and IgM. The overall corrected prevalence was 20.3%. The only identified predictor of anti-SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity in this study was the previous family history of COVID-19 infection (OR=36.548, CI=1.371-74.364, p=0.032).

Conclusion: The identified predictor and other important outcomes will be useful in forming strategies for the prevention and management of COVID-19 infection.