Abstract
This study aimed to assess the prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) total antibodies in the north, middle, and south regions of West Bank and the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies (IgA, IgM, and IgG) in the Palestinian population. This was a cross-sectional study. The serological and epidemiological data of 1269 persons were assessed. Participants were selected randomly among primary health care center attendees in Palestine between November 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020. All serum samples were tested for total antibodies using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. IgM, IgG, and IgA-specific antibody titers were measured using ELISA. The overall prevalence (with 95% confidence intervals [CIs]) of SARS-CoV-2 total antibodies and specific antibodies were estimated. A multivariate regression model was used to assess the predictive factors for SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies. The overall seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was 24·0% (95% CI, 21·7%–26·5%). Seroprevalence was significantly higher among people living in south West Bank (adjusted Odds ratio [aOR], 2·22; 95% CI: 1·58–3·11), people who had COVID-19 symptoms (aOR, 3·92; 95% CI, 2·83–5·43), people with a COVID-19 contact history (aOR, 1·44; 95% CI, 1·03–2·03), patients with hypertension (aOR, 1·57; 95% CI, 1·06–2·33), and non-smokers (aOR, 0·47; 95% CI, 0·31–0·72). A total of 171 blood samples from SARS-CoV-2-positive patients were chosen at random for additional serological testing. Specific IgM, IgG, and IgA antibodies were positive in 14·0% (95% CI, 9·2%–20·2%), 88·3% (82·5%–92·7%), and 42·1% (34·6%–59·9%) of the samples, respectively. SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were common among PHC center attendees and were significantly associated to sex, smoking, and COVID-19 contact history. However, considering that almost three-quarters of this population remains susceptible, maintaining public health measures and encouraging access to immunization is critical in protecting this population.
Highlights
IntroductionThe World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a pandemic on March 11, 2020 [1, 2]
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was first diagnosed in December 2019 in China
Between November and December 2020, 1360 blood samples were collected from people attending Primary health care (PHC) centers in the West Bank
Summary
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a pandemic on March 11, 2020 [1, 2]. As of February 8, 2021, WHO reported 105,805,951 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 2,312,278 deaths [3]. Primary health care (PHC) centers are the first level of contact for individuals, families, and communities [4]. In Palestine, a network of over 424 PHC centers is distributed in the West Bank. The PHC centers address the major health problems in the community and offer preventive, curative, and rehabilitation services. According to the Palestinian Health Report of 2019, the overall number of visits to PHC physicians in the West Bank was 2,149,486, while the number of visits to PHC nurses was 2,208,190 [5]
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