Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and knowledge, attitude and practice toward COVID-19 in the Republic of Srpska-Bosnia & Herzegovina: A population-based study

Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to analyse the knowledge, attitudes and practices of the population toward COVID-19. This population-based study was conducted in a group of 1,855 randomly selected individuals from all municipalities from 1 December 2020 to 15 January 2021. All individuals were asked to sign a consent form and to fill in a questionnaire, following which a blood samples were collected. Total anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were determined in serum specimens using the total Ab ELISA assay. The overall seroprevalence rate was 40.3%. Subjects aged <65 years were 2.06 times more likely to be seropositive than those aged ≥65, and 30% of seropositive individuals presented no COVID-19 symptoms. The household members of seropositive individuals were 2.24 times more likely to develop COVID-19 symptoms than the household members of seronegative individuals. More than 95% of respondents believe that preventive measures are very important to control the infection transmission. Majority of respondents wear the masks properly, maintain the required physical distance whenever possible and wash hands with soap. Nearly 50% of individuals were of the opinion that the vaccine could prevent the infection. This study showed that an overall SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity rate by the middle of January 2021 was very high. Attitudes and practices regarding the COVID-19 indicate that additional efforts should be taken in order to improve the health education with a focus on preventive measures and vaccination.

Consumption of Antibiotics in Primary Care Setting before and during COVID-19 Pandemic in Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina

“…The cause of the increased prescription and consumption of antibiotics is online or telephone consultations, counseling and treatment of COVID-19 cases, especially at the beginning of the pandemic due to the reorganization of the health system. Panic among patients and doctors due to the large number of infected, insufficient knowledge of the clinical course of the disease, the lack of antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs, as well as the low trust of the population in vaccines influenced the excessive use of antibiotics in the observed period [ 30 ]. Also, it is possible that the increased sale of antibiotics without a prescription, although prohibited, has contributed to the overuse of antibiotics, which will certainly affect the rate of antimicrobial resistance, but this is beyond the scope of this paper [ 31 ].…”

Clinical and Epidemiological Risk Factors Associated with Hospitalization and Mortality Rate of COVID-19 Patients in Banja Luka County: Retrospective Observational Cohort Study on 40,000 patients

“…Results of nationwide study in Tunisia showed faster recovering of younger patients as well as healthcare workers [18]. Results of the study on seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the Republic of Srpska confirmed that younger population had higher seroprevalence values and less hospitalization [19].…”

“…The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID- 19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The infection had spread rapidly from China to other countries across the Asia [1,2].…”

The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies within the community of a private tertiary university in the Philippines: A serial cross sectional study

“…Antibody testing was not used to diagnose infection in individuals, nor the amount of protection offered against COVID-19 infection. At the moment, there was no consensus on the best approach used to evaluate COVID-19 infection status in relation to a university community [ 43 , 44 ]. Donneau and colleagues recommended the use of a saliva RT-PCR test and antibody test in conjunction with self-reporting of symptoms in order to determine the prevalence of COVID-19 in the population and characterize seroconversion and seroreversion after vaccination and infection [ 45 ].…”