1. Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among primary healthcare workers in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia & Herzegovina: A cross-sectional study.
- Author
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Knežević, Darija, Petković, Miroslav, Božić, Ljiljana, Miljuš, Nataša, Mijović, Biljana, Aćimović, Jela, Djaković-Dević, Jelena, Puhalo-Sladoje, Dragana, Mašić, Srdjan, Spaić, Dragan, Todorović, Nevena, Pilipović-Broćeta, Nataša, Petrović, Verica, Bokonjić, Dejan, Stojiljković, Miloš P., and Škrbić, Ranko
- Subjects
MEDICAL personnel ,SARS-CoV-2 ,ENZYME-linked immunosorbent assay ,COVID-19 vaccines ,CROSS-sectional method ,VIRAL antibodies ,COVID-19 ,SEROPREVALENCE - Abstract
Healthcare workers (HCW) in primary healthcare centres in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, are on the first combat line with COVID-19. This study aimed to assess the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 among HCW at the primary healthcare centres and to analyse the risk exposure to COVID-19, clinical signs and vaccination status. A cross-sectional study was conducted among HCW at the selected primary healthcare centres between 19 March and 30 April 2021. Antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A total of 1,023 HCW (mean age 45 years; 71% female) were included in the study. The anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected in 69.5% of all participants. There was a significant difference in seropositivity among primary healthcare centres from different geographical regions. As many as 432 (42%) of all participants had confirmed COVID-19 symptoms before the study and, 84.8% of them were seropositive. This study showed that 702 primary HCW were vaccinated with any of these vaccines: Sputnik V, Sinopharm, Pfizer/Biontech. High titre of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was found amongst those who received one (92.6%) or both (97.2%) doses of vaccines. In this study, we report high prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibody among HCW in primary healthcare in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina during the third pandemic wave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
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