High Seroprevalence Against SARS-CoV-2 Among Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Personnel and Students of the University of Alcalá, Spain: Contributing Factors

Pérez‐Tanoira, Ramón; Lledó, Lourdes; Torralba, Miguel; Zapata, Manuel Rodríguez; Serrano, Teresa Arroyo; Pardo, Consuelo Giménez; Pedrosa, María Isabel Rodríguez; Badía, Ma Nuria Romero; Pérez-García, Felipe; López, Patricia González; García, Cristina; Cuadros-González, Juan

doi:10.2147/ijgm.s332803

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…We noted a predominance of IgG (24.40 %) compared to IgM (20.62 %). Similar trends have already been reported with higher IgG level in the general population in USA [31], Cameroon [7], [32], [33], [34], Congo [35], India [36] and Brazil [37] as well as in students in Spain [38]. In fact, experience earned from the kinetics of antibody response from other viral infections taught us that unlike IgM that appears in the acute phase of infection, IgG is the marker of the chronic infection and should appear later on in greater amount.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Profile of Serological (IgM/IgG) and Virological Markers of COVID-19 in Some Private Universities in Cameroon During the Pandemic

Wouambo¹,

Djuikoue²,

Esemu³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Background: COVID-19 remains a rapidly evolving and deadly pandemic worldwide. This necessitates the continuous assessment of existing diagnostic tools for robust, up-to-date and cost-effective pandemic response strategy. We sought to determine the infection rate (PCR-positivity) and degree of spread (IgM/IgG) of SARS-CoV-2 in three university settings in Cameroon Method: Study volunteers were recruited from November 2020 to July 2021 among COVID-19 non-vaccinated students in three Universities from two regions of Cameroon (West and Centre). Molecular testing was performed by RT-qPCR on nasopharyngeal swabs and IgM/IgG antibodies in plasma were detected using the Abbott Panbio IgM/IgG rapid diagnostic test (RDT) at the Virology Laboratory of CREMER/IMPM/MINRESI. The molecular and serological profiles were compared and, p<0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: Amongst the 291 participants enrolled (mean age 22.59±10.43 years), 19.59% (57/291) were symptomatic and 80.41 %(234/2691) asymptomatic. Overall COVID-19 PCR-positivity rate was 21.31% (62/291), distributed as follows: 25.25% from UdM-Bangangte; 27.27% from ISSBA-Yaounde and 5% from IUEs/INSAM-Yaounde. Women were more affected than men (28.76% [44/153] vs. 13.04% [18/138], p<0.0007) and they significantly expressed more IgM+/IgG+ (15.69% [24/153] vs. 7.25% [10/138], p<0.01). Participants from Bangangté, the nomadic, and the “non-contact cases” mainly presented an active infection compared to those from Yaoundé (p= 0.05; p=0.05 and p=0.01 respectively). Overall IgG seropositivity (IgM-/IgG+ and IgM+/IgG+) was 24.4% (71/291). A proportion of 26.92% (7/26) presenting COVID-19 IgM+/IgG- had negative PCR versus 73.08% (19/26) with positive PCR, p<0.0001. Furthermore, 17.65% (6/34) with COVID-19 IgM+/IgG+ had negative PCR as compared to 82.35% positive PCR (28/34), p<0.0001. Lastly, 7.22% (14/194) with IgM-/IgG- had a positive PCR. Conclusion: This study calls for a rapid preparedness and response strategy in higher institutes in case of any future pathogen with pandemic or epidemic potentials. The observed disparity between IgG/IgM and viral profile supports prioritizing assays targeting the virus (nucleic acid or antigen) for diagnosis and antibody screening for sero-surveys

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Profile of Serological (IgM/IgG) and Virological Markers of COVID-19 in Some Private Universities in Cameroon During the Pandemic

Wouambo¹,

Djuikoue²,

Esemu³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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show abstract

“…We noted a predominance of IgG (24.40%) compared to IgM (20.62%). Similar trends have already been reported with higher IgG levels in the general population in the USA [ 32 ], Cameroon [ 7 , 33 , 34 , 35 ], Congo [ 36 ], India [ 37 ], and Brazil [ 38 ], as well as in students in Spain [ 39 ]. In fact, experience earned from the kinetics of the antibody response from other viral infections taught us that, unlike IgM, which appears in the acute phase of infection, IgG is the marker of chronic infection and should appear later on in greater amounts [ 40 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Comparative Performance of Serological (IgM/IgG) and Molecular Testing (RT-PCR) of COVID-19 in Three Private Universities in Cameroon during the Pandemic

Wouambo

Djuikoue

Esemu

et al. 2023

Viruses

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: COVID-19 remains a rapidly evolving and deadly pandemic worldwide. This necessitates the continuous assessment of existing diagnostic tools for a robust, up-to-date, and cost-effective pandemic response strategy. We sought to determine the infection rate (PCR-positivity) and degree of spread (IgM/IgG) of SARS-CoV-2 in three university settings in Cameroon Method: Study volunteers were recruited from November 2020 to July 2021 among COVID-19 non-vaccinated students in three Universities from two regions of Cameroon (West and Centre). Molecular testing was performed by RT-qPCR on nasopharyngeal swabs, and IgM/IgG antibodies in plasma were detected using the Abbott Panbio IgM/IgG rapid diagnostic test (RDT) at the Virology Laboratory of CREMER/IMPM/MINRESI. The molecular and serological profiles were compared, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Amongst the 291 participants enrolled (mean age 22.59 ± 10.43 years), 19.59% (57/291) were symptomatic and 80.41% (234/291) were asymptomatic. The overall COVID-19 PCR-positivity rate was 21.31% (62/291), distributed as follows: 25.25% from UdM-Bangangte, 27.27% from ISSBA-Yaounde, and 5% from IUEs/INSAM-Yaounde. Women were more affected than men (28.76% [44/153] vs. 13.04% [18/138], p < 0.0007), and had higher seropositivity rates to IgM+/IgG+ (15.69% [24/153] vs. 7.25% [10/138], p < 0.01). Participants from Bangangté, the nomadic, and the “non-contact cases” primarily presented an active infection compared to those from Yaoundé (p= 0.05, p = 0.05, and p = 0.01, respectively). Overall IgG seropositivity (IgM−/IgG+ and IgM+/IgG+) was 24.4% (71/291). A proportion of 26.92% (7/26) presenting COVID-19 IgM+/IgG− had negative PCR vs. 73.08% (19/26) with positive PCR, p < 0.0001. Furthermore, 17.65% (6/34) with COVID-19 IgM+/IgG+ had a negative PCR as compared to 82.35% with a positive PCR (28/34), p < 0.0001. Lastly, 7.22% (14/194) with IgM−/IgG− had a positive PCR. Conclusion: This study calls for a rapid preparedness and response strategy in higher institutes in the case of any future pathogen with pandemic or epidemic potential. The observed disparity between IgG/IgM and the viral profile supports prioritizing assays targeting the virus (nucleic acid or antigen) for diagnosis and antibody screening for sero-surveys.

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“…The early identification of suspected cases is also essential to interrupt the spread of the virus ( 6 , 25 ), especially asymptomatic spread ( 25 ). The early detection of cases and close contacts prevented the on-campus activity of these subjects and, therefore, avoided new close contacts and new cases when close contacts became positive.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ongoing surveillance, including serosurveillance, plays a critical role in monitoring infection and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in educational settings ( 6 ). On our campus, the method to confirm positive cases was DTAI, performed in the Community of Madrid health centers as established in the Community’s health protocols of the first waves.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As in other regions, the state of emergency in Spain entailed that face-to-face classes were eliminated from March to September 2020 ( 6 ), leading to the introduction of new educational and administrative solutions in university management ( 7 ). Universities had to reorganize their activities with immediacy and creativity to avoid a negative outcome for students’ education ( 4 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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General infection prevention, mitigation, and control procedures implemented in the university education during the COVID-19 pandemic to achieve classroom attendance: a successful community case study

Monge,

Gallego-Gil,

Neria

et al. 2024

Front. Public Health

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IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic entailed confinement and elimination of face-to-face university classes in Spain. The Francisco de Vitoria University in Madrid (UFV by its Spanish acronym) implemented risk management systems to enable on-campus university activity to avoid a negative impact on students, teachers, and faculties.MethodsA tracking/registry system was implemented to collect data, identify COVID-19-related cases, implement containment measures, and do follow-up in the UFV community (administration/services personnel [ASP], teaching/research personnel [TRP], and students), from September 2020 to April 2022. In addition, a prevention plan was implemented on campus to avoid COVID-19 spreading. Satisfaction with these measures was assessed through an online questionnaire.ResultsA total of 7,165 suspected COVID-19 cases (84.7% students, 7.7% ASP, 6.5% TRP) were tracked (62.5% female cases, mean age (±SD) 24.8 years (±9.2 years)), and 45% of them confirmed (82% symptomatic/16% asymptomatic), being the student group that with the highest percentage (38.3% total tracked cases). The source of infection was identified in 50.6% of the confirmed cases (90.2% located off-campus). Nineteen COVID-19 outbreaks were registered (inside-10/outside-9). COVID-19 incidence rates were similar or lower than those reported in the Community of Madrid, except in the last wave, corresponding to Omicron variant. The degree of satisfaction (scale 1–6) with the implemented measures was high (scores 4.48–5.44).ConclusionDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, UFV control measures, periodic monitoring, and the effectiveness of the tracking system have contributed to maintaining classroom teaching, guaranteeing health and safety. UFV has adapted to a new reality as an example of good practice for future pandemics or emergency situations.

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High Seroprevalence Against SARS-CoV-2 Among Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Personnel and Students of the University of Alcalá, Spain: Contributing Factors

Cited by 4 publications

References 28 publications

Profile of Serological (IgM/IgG) and Virological Markers of COVID-19 in Some Private Universities in Cameroon During the Pandemic

Profile of Serological (IgM/IgG) and Virological Markers of COVID-19 in Some Private Universities in Cameroon During the Pandemic

Comparative Performance of Serological (IgM/IgG) and Molecular Testing (RT-PCR) of COVID-19 in Three Private Universities in Cameroon during the Pandemic

General infection prevention, mitigation, and control procedures implemented in the university education during the COVID-19 pandemic to achieve classroom attendance: a successful community case study

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