Phytochemicals in the treatment of inflammation-associated diseases: the journey from preclinical trials to clinical practice.

Advances in biomedical research have demonstrated that inflammation and its related diseases are the greatest threat to public health. Inflammatory action is the pathological response of the body towards the external stimuli such as infections, environmental factors, and autoimmune conditions to reduce tissue damage and improve patient comfort. However, when detrimental signal-transduction pathways are activated and inflammatory mediators are released over an extended period of time, the inflammatory process continues and a mild but persistent pro-inflammatory state may develop. Numerous degenerative disorders and chronic health issues including arthritis, diabetes, obesity, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases, among others, are associated with the emergence of a low-grade inflammatory state. Though, anti-inflammatory steroidal, as well as non-steroidal drugs, are extensively used against different inflammatory conditions, they show undesirable side effects upon long-term exposure, at times, leading to life-threatening consequences. Thus, drugs targeting chronic inflammation need to be developed to achieve better therapeutic management without or with a fewer side effects. Plants have been well known for their medicinal use for thousands of years due to their pharmacologically active phytochemicals belonging to diverse chemical classes with a number of these demonstrating potent anti-inflammatory activity. Some typical examples include colchicine (alkaloid), escin (triterpenoid saponin), capsaicin (methoxy phenol), bicyclol (lignan), borneol (monoterpene), and quercetin (flavonoid). These phytochemicals often act via regulating molecular mechanisms that synergize the anti-inflammatory pathways such as increased production of anti-inflammatory cytokines or interfere with the inflammatory pathways such as to reduce the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and other modulators to improve the underlying pathological condition. This review describes the anti-inflammatory properties of a number of biologically active compounds derived from medicinal plants, and their mechanisms of pharmacological intervention to alleviate inflammation-associated diseases. The emphasis is given to information on anti-inflammatory phytochemicals that have been evaluated at the preclinical and clinical levels. Recent trends and gaps in the development of phytochemical-based anti-inflammatory drugs have also been included.

Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA), a Leading Risk Factor for Mucormycosis (Black Fungus), During the Era of Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19): An Overview.

INTRODUCTION: Diabetes mellitus (DM) and steroid medication, coincided with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), results in a weakened immune system, allowing some commonly found pathogens to become more harmful. Mucormycosis (black fungus) is such a type of opportunistic infection caused by fungi belonging to the Mucorales family. DM is the most prominent risk factor for mucormycosis. Excessive blood sugar and decreased insulin levels lead to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a devastating complication of DM that can be fatal if left untreated. METHODS: Diabetic ketoacidosis is more common in type 1 diabetic patients, although it can also be fall in type 2 diabetic patients. DKA occurs when the body lacks enough insulin to allow blood sugar to enter the cells and is used for energy. Instead, the liver breaks down fat for fuel producing chemicals known as ketones in the process. RESULTS: When too many ketones are created too quickly, they can reach dangerously high levels in the body. Mucormycosis is a rare but serious infectious disease that requires medication or surgical removal. CONCLUSION: The confluence of diabetes and COVID-19 makes managing mucormycosis a serious and dead issue. Although the effectiveness of prophylactic antifungal therapy has yet to be demonstrated, hyperglycemia control appears to be the most important step in managing mucormycosis in DKA patients.

Immunomodulator Vitamin C: An Adjuvant Therapy in Second Wave of Coronavirus Disease 2019

Since its sudden outbreak in December 2019 in Wuhan, A pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 has been announced. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin with anti-oxidant and immunity-boosting properties. Vitamin C acts as a nutritional supplement profoundly impacting the immune response to the second or third wave of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Vitamin C efficacy as an adjuvant treatment for inflammation and symptoms associated with COVID-19 infection should be investigated further. This report sheds light on the available information on the current clinical trials and pharmacotherapy related to COVID-19. Information available on Pubmed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science databases and EU clinical trials regarding the use of therapeutic agents in patients with COVID-19 was used to perform analysis. Data was taken from 18 clinical trials available in the U.S. National Library of Medicine. All trials that are active, completed, or in the process of recruiting are included in data. Because of majority of clinical trials are still ongoing, specific results and high-quality clinical evidence are lacking. Before being standardised for use, the protocol must undergo large randomised clinical studies using a variety of existing medications and potential therapies. The pivotal role played by vitamins C in maintaining our immune system, is quite apparent. This review is an attempt to summarize the available information regarding the use of vitamin C as an adjuvant therapy in COVID-19 patients.

Multi-target endoscopic ultrasound EUS-M guided biopsy is superior to pet scan for staging for malignancies

BackgroundPET scan is widely used not only to diagnose malignancy and its staging, but a small proportion of patients do have false-positive results. EUS now is a well-established modality to get tissue diagnosis, and with multi-target approach can help stage disease more accurately with histopathological results. We share our experience with EUS-M cases with different variety of malignancies.MethodsA total of 25 cases underwent EUS-M from June 2020 till June 2022. Informed consent was obtained, and with Covid screen test with PCR was performed before the procedure. Procedures were done with all SOPs as per institutional guidelines. 22G FNB needle was used in 24 cases, 25G needle in 01 case;Franseen design with the capillary suction method was used to obtain visible core samples for histopathology without ROSE. All cases have confirmed the histopathological diagnosis with the same pathology from other site of Biopsy. Order of Biopsy was Nodes→ Liver metastatic lesion→ Primary Tumour. In cases of nodes mediastinal→ porta-hepatis/pancreatic→ Para-aortic. All samples were adequate for making a confirmatory diagnosis on the tissue sample.ResultsAmong total of 25 cases, Age 54 Mean (22–77) with 16 Males. Duration of procedure 38 Minutes Mean (20–85). Cases with multiple lymphadenopathy from different anatomical regions were 09, while other sites included Liver for metastasis and Primary tumour from pancreas/CBD/GB in 16 cases. Multiple site single pass was performed in 24 cases. 19 cases had malignant pathologies. Final diagnosis of the Disease was pancreatic adenocarcinoma 07, NETs 02, Lymphoma 04, GB Adenocarcinoma/Cholangiocarcinoma 06 and metastatic RCC 01, TB 01. 04 cases had benign disease. All procedures were done under Conscious sedation as day care procedure. There were no immediate or early complications in all cases.ConclusionsEUS-M is a safe and accurate modality to stage malignancy with superiority over PET Scan to obtain a histological diagnosis.

Hybrid endoscopic ultrasound in the covid-19 era for the tissue diagnosis of solid lesions;an initial experience from a tertiary care centre from Pakistan

BackgroundEndoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) is a well-established mode of intervention for tissue acquisition in solid organs with rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE). In the Covid-19 era, the implementation of infection control mechanisms has led to modified hybrid techniques to get high diagnostic yield for tissue sampling. Combination of Covid-19 SOPs and tissue acquisition method outline this hybrid technique to get a high diagnostic Yield. We share our initial experience of EUS cases performed with this approach without ROSE.MethodsAll 125 cases who underwent EUS-guided biopsy from June 2020 till June 2022 were included. The Procedure was done in a negative pressure room with all SOPs as per institutional guidelines for patient and staff safety with a minimum number of persons during the procedure.ResultsAmong these cases, 85 were male, mean age of 56 years (range 22–90), Mean duration of procedure 28 minutes mean (10–90 min). 91 cases for organs targeted for malignant pathology include pancreas 53, liver 03, lymph nodes 22, subepithelial lesions 10, mediastinal lesions 15, common-bile duct/gall bladder 07, gastric and retroperitoneal 01 case, 13 cases had a multi-targeted biopsy for the additional staging of disease. The number of ‘passes’ with the needle was average 02 with single pass 20, two pass 60, three passes 20, multitarget single pass in 25. Needle size (Franseen design) used for procedures was 22G in 115 cases and 25G in 10. Common tissue diagnoses include pancreatic adenocarcinoma 38, neuroendocrine tumours 06, tuberculosis 07, gastrointestinal stromal tumours 03, leiomyoma 05, lymphoma 06, metastatic renal cell carcinoma 05, squamous cell carcinoma 05, cholangiocarcinoma/gall bladder adenocarcinoma 13, Sarcoma 03, solid pseudopapillary epithelial neoplasm of pancreas (SPEN) 03 and one case for Schwannoma, breast metastasis, accessory spleen, ectopic pancreas, sarcoidosis There were no immediate or early complications in all cases.ConclusionsHybrid EUS in Covid 19 Era has emerged as a useful/cost-effective and safe approach to get tissue yield without the need for ROSE.

COVID-Kavach-Based Seropositivity in the General Population of Ahmedabad: Just Before the Start of the Vaccination for the Elderly in India.

Background The present study was carried out in succession of three serosurvey studies carried out during 2020 in Ahmedabad with an objective to estimate the seroprevalence of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) in Ahmedabad city so as to scientifically understand the pandemic progression. Methods Polio booth-based stratification was followed for the population-based stratified sampling among the general population of Ahmedabad. The seroprevalence was compared with various factors for valid and precise predictions regarding the immunity status of the population. Results As on February 2021, the seroprevalence for IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV2 in the general population of Ahmedabad was 27.92% (95% confidence interval 27.06-28.80), much below the minimum desired for herd immunity. Comparison of seropositivity with age groups showed higher seroprevalence with increasing age groups. Seroprevalence was higher among males (29.08%) than females (27.01%) and the difference was statistically significant (Z=2.30, P=0.02). Calculating the seropositivity among the subcategories, cases had a seropositivity of 64.90% and family contacts had a seropositivity of 28.00%. Seronegative cases indicate the possibility of absent, undetectable, or disappearing IgG antibodies. Seropositivity of 37% among the vaccinated individuals may be related to dose and duration of vaccination, as the COVID vaccination had started just before the present study and none had completed 14 days after the second dose. Conclusions The low level of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV2 using the COVID-Kavach test kit in the general population of Ahmedabad city of India, as on February 2021, before the start of COVID vaccination for the general population suggests that the preventive measures be strongly followed for continued control of the pandemic situation at least till majority of the population is effectively covered with vaccination.

Diabetes Mellitus during the Pandemic Covid-19: Prevalence, Pathophysiology, Mechanism, and Management: An updated overview.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is among the most frequently reported comorbidities in patients tainted with the pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). With a high pervasiveness of diabetes mellitus, there is an urgency to understand the special aspects of COVID-19 in hyperglycemic patients. Diabetic patients are at higher risk than the general population of viral or bacterial infections, thus require special attention since diabetes is linked with severe, critical, and lethal modes of COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to focus on epidemiology, pathophysiology, mechanism, and management of DM with COVID-19. METHODS: The search was carried out on databases portals such as Pubmed, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and CINAHL with the keywords, i.e., COVID-19, coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, diabetes, covid-19, etc. Result: DM and COVID-19 disease conditions can impact each other in terms of clinical progression and outcome. Available laboratory/clinical observations suggest that hyperglycemia-induced immune dysfunction, inflated lactate grades, and cytokines storm may play critical roles in the seriousness of COVID-19 in patients with diabetes; however, the exact mechanisms linking diabetes and COVID-19 remain to be further clarified. CONCLUSION: Standards to constrain the disease spread at the individual and community level are the key to extenuate the speedily rising pandemic, while definitive treatment, like plasma therapy, chemoprophylaxis, or vaccine for COVID-19, has yet to be discovered.

Statistical properties of the aftershocks of stock market crashes revisited: Analysis based on the 1987 crash, financial-crisis-2008 and COVID-19 pandemic

During any unique crisis, panic sell-off leads to a massive stock market crash that may continue for more than a day, termed as mainshock. The effect of a mainshock in the form of aftershocks can be felt throughout the recovery phase of stock price. As the market remains in stress during recovery, any small perturbation leads to a relatively smaller aftershock. The duration of the recovery phase has been estimated using structural break analysis. We have carried out statistical analyses of 1987 stock market crash, 2008 financial crisis and 2020 COVID-19 pandemic considering the actual crash times of the mainshock and aftershocks. Earlier, such analyses were done considering absolute one-day return, which cannot capture a crash properly. The results show that the mainshock and aftershock in the stock market follow the Gutenberg–Richter (GR) power law. Further, we obtained higher β value for the COVID-19 crash compared to the financial-crisis-2008 from the GR law. This implies that the recovery of stock price during COVID-19 may be faster than the financial-crisis-2008. The result is consistent with the present recovery of the market from the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis shows that the high-magnitude aftershocks are rare, and low-magnitude aftershocks are frequent during the recovery phase. The analysis also shows that the inter-occurrence times of the aftershocks follow the generalized Pareto distribution, i.e. P(τi)∝1[1+λ(q−1)τi]1(q−1), where λ and q are constants and τi is the inter-occurrence time. This analysis may help investors to restructure their portfolio during a market crash.

Immunoglobulin-G Antibodies against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - Coronavirus-2 among Health-Care Workers: A Serosurveillance Study from India.

Background: Seropositivity among health-care workers (HCWs) may help in better understanding of the immune response after COVID-19 infection. Objectives: To estimate seropositivity among HCWs and to compare available variables with seropositivity to understand the factors affecting seropositivity. Materials and Methods: A serosurveillance among HCWs was carried out using population proportion sampling during the second half of October 2020 in the city of Ahmedabad using the Covid-Kavach (immunoglobulin G [IgG] ELISA Antibody testing kit). Simple proportions and appropriate statistical tests were used as needed. Results: As on October' 2020, HCWs in Ahmedabad demonstrated a seropositivity of 20.84% (95% confidence interval [CI] 19.00-22.81%). Seropositivity among HCWs was lower than that of the general population (24.20%) which was estimated as part of the same study. Female HCWs had higher seropositivity 22.14% (95% CI 19.74-24.74%) as compared to 18.82% (95% CI 16.06-21.93%) among male HCWs and the difference was statistically not significant (Z = 1.66, P = 0.097). Age groups with increasing age show increasing trend in the seropositivity among HCWs. Conclusion: As on October 2020, with 20.84% seropositivity among HCWs in Ahmedabad, one in every five HCW already demonstrate IgG antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome- coronavirus-2. Further scientific studies on seropositivity and the factors affecting the seropositivity may be carried out to uncover more details of immune reaction after COVID-19 infection.

Seroprevalence of Immunoglobulin-G Antibody Among Confirm Cases of COVID-19.

Background Sero-surveillance to find the presence of IgG antibodies among COVID-19 cases helps in the better understanding of the immune response after COVID-19 infection. Objectives To estimate seropositivity among confirmed COVID-19 cases and to correlate the seropositivity with various factors affecting seropositivity. Methods Population-based sero-surveillance among COVID-19 cases was carried out during the second half of August 2020 in Ahmedabad using the COVID KAVACH, Immunoglobulin-G (IgG) Antibody Detection Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) kits. Seropositivity among cases was measured and compared with various other factors to understand the immunity status among COVID-19 cases. Results With 1073 positive for IgG antibodies from 1720 samples, the seropositivity among COVID-19 cases is 62.38% [95%CI 60.07-64.64%]. The difference in seropositivity based on gender was statistically not significant (Z=0.26, P=0.79). Children have the highest seropositivity (94.44%) and from young adults, to the elderly, the proportion of positivity among cases shows an increasing trend. Time gap analysis from the date of diagnosis shows that the proportion of cases with IgG antibodies increases gradually reaching its peak at around 10 weeks (third month) and then declines gradually. Conclusion Seropositivity among COVID-19 cases is 62.38%. The proportion of cases with IgG antibodies reaches its peak at around 10 weeks (third month) after diagnosis and then declines gradually. This fall indicates that the detected antibodies may not be long-lasting and may become undetectable/absent over a period of time. The reason for seronegative results in COVID-19 cases needs further in-depth scientific research.

Serosurveillance among covid-19 cases in ahmedabad using sars-cov2 igg antibodies

Background: Serosurveillance study focusing on antibodies against SARS-CoV2 among the Covid19 cases can add value in the scientific knowledge & help in formulating valid predictions regarding immunity status in the post-covid period. Objectives: To estimate seropositivity among covid19 cases and to identify various factors affecting seropositivity. Methods: During second half of October 2020, a population based serosurvey on Covid19 cases was carried out in Ahmedabad. Covid-Kavach test kits were used and estimated seroprevalence was compared with available demographic and covid19 case related parameters to identify factors affecting seropositivity in the post-covid period. Simple proportions and Z-test were used as appropriate. Results: As on October 2020, the sero-positivity among Covid19 cases in Ahmedabad was 54.51% [95% Confidence Interval (CI) 52.14-56.86%]. Females have higher positivity (54.78%) as compared to males (54.30%) but the difference was statistically not significant (Z=0.19, P=0.84). Among children and elderly, the positivity is high and from young adults to elderly the seropositivity has an increasing trend. Severity of clinical illness and longer duration of hospitalization are associated with higher seropositivity. Conclusion: With 54.51% seropositivity among covid19 cases, it is clear that all the covid19 cases may not have developed IgG antibodies, have undetectable level or might have disappeared during the post-covid period. Comparison of seropositivity with age group and clinical case details clearly suggest close correlation with the severity of clinical symptoms. The seronegative cases indicate the need for further in-depth scientific research to identify the factors affecting immunity and to uncover the reasons behind the same. © 2021, Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine. All rights reserved.

Population-based seropositivity for IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in Ahmedabad city.

CONTEXT: Ahmedabad city with approximately 7 million population was one of the earliest cities to witness the high case load of COVID-19 pandemic in India. A population-based sero-survey was ideally suited in Ahmedabad to guide the public health response for managing COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVES: To study the percentage sero-positivity for SARS-CoV-2 to understand the pandemic status and deriving conclusions for guiding the public health measures for managing the COVID-19 pandemic. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Population-based cross-sectional sero-surveillance. METHODS AND MATERIAL: Large scale sero-surveillance with population-based stratified sampling covering more than 10,000 samples from general population of Ahmedabad was carried out during second half of August 2020. The seropositivity was correlated and compared with various demographic factors and other parameters for valid and precise predictions on the immunity status of the population. RESULTS: With 2,396 samples positive for IgG antibodies from a total of 10,310 samples, the seropositivity against COVID-19 in the general population of Ahmedabad is around 23.24%. The seropositivity has increasing trend with increasing age and is significantly higher among females (25.37%) than males (21.81%). The zone wise positivity ranged from 11.74% to 33.14%. This closely correlates with the cases recorded so far, higher for those zones with high current or past cases. CONCLUSIONS: Seropositivity of 23.24% in general population indicate the overall current level of protection. Since effective vaccine is not yet available, it is required to continue emphasis on the public health preventive measures for controlling and managing the COVID-19 pandemic.

SARS-CoV-2: fate in water environments and sewage surveillance as an early warning system.

The carwash is known as one of the most important urban services that brings about the production of huge volume of wastewater with high turbidity and high chemical oxygen demand (COD). Seasonal and carwash location features affect the quality of carwash wastewater. Various methods with special focus on chemical processes have been employed for carwash wastewater treatment and eliminating different pollutants from this wastewater of great concern for the environment. This review was conducted for identifying and comparing the efficiency of chemical processes for carwash wastewater treatment. To this aim, key words were identified and a search protocol was defined to search studies in three databases: Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed. The results of this systematic review indicated that coagulation (66%) is the most common chemical processes for carwash wastewater treatment. Although chemical processes are able to reduce the turbidity and COD over 80%. Due to the characteristics of carwash wastewater, chemical processes are a necessary pretreatment for processes such as membrane technology. Rapid treatment and high efficiency are the advantages of wastewater treatment by chemical methods, but the energy consumption and sludge volume are two main factors in selection the chemical processes for carwash wastewater treatment.

Kemampuan argumentasi ilmiah calon guru IPA melalui pendekatan mikir selama pandemi COVID-19

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, learning at the university or school level has implemented online learning. Even though the learning is conducted online, the teacher candidate's scientific argumentation skills must be trained. One way is through the MIKIR approach. The purpose of this research is analyzing the science pre-service teachers’ scientific argumentation skills by using MIKIR approach during pandemic COVID-19. This type of research is a quasi-experimental study with a one-shot case study design. The research sample was 50 pre-service teachers. The instrument was an argumentation essay test based on the argumentation aspects according to Toulmin;claim, data, warrant and backing. The science pre-service teachers’ scientific argumentation skills will be analyzed through the one-sample T test assisted by the SPSS version 22 application. The results of this study is shown by the T score, 0.010> 0.05, is larger than a significance level. It means that MIKIR approach during pandemic COVID-19 can practice significantly to the scientific argumentation skills of science pre-service teachers.  Keywords: science pre-service teachers’ scientific argumentation skills, MIKIR approach, science learning during pandemic COVID-19 

Characteristics of 2020 stock market crash: The COVID-19 induced extreme event.

A sudden fall of stock prices happens during a pandemic due to the panic sell-off by the investors. Such a sell-off may continue for more than a day, leading to a significant crash in the stock price or, more specifically, an extreme event (EE). In this paper, Hilbert-Huang transformation and a structural break analysis (SBA) have been applied to identify and characterize an EE in the stock market due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hilbert spectrum shows a maximum energy concentration at the time of an EE, and hence, it is useful to identify such an event. The EE's significant energy concentration is more than four times the standard deviation above the mean energy of the normal fluctuation of stock prices. A statistical significance test for the intrinsic mode functions is applied, and the test found that the signal is not noisy. The degree of nonstationarity test shows that the indices and stock prices are nonstationary. We identify the time of influence of the EE on the stock price by using SBA. Furthermore, we have identified the time scale ( τ) of the shock and recovery of the stock price during the EE using the intrinsic mode function obtained from the empirical mode decomposition technique. The quality stocks with V-shape recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic have definite τ of shock and recovery, whereas the stressed stocks with L-shape recovery have no definite τ. The identification of τ of shock and recovery during an EE will help investors to differentiate between quality and stressed stocks. These studies will help investors to make appropriate investment decisions.

Reassessing the population based Seroprevalence for IgG antibodies against SARS COV2 in Ahmedabad

Background: Assessing population based seroprevalence can help in monitor the pandemic, and suggest appropriate corrective public health measures. Aims and Objectives: To study seroprevalence of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV2 to understand the pandemic status and deriving valid conclusions for guiding the public health measures for managing the covid19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: A serosurveillance study was carried out using population based stratified sampling for the general population of Ahmedabad city. Seroprevalence for Cases, Contacts and Health Care Workers (HCWs) was also estimated as separate additional categories. The seroprevalence was compared with various demographic factors for valid and precise predictions regarding the immunity status of the population. Results: As on October 2020, the seroprevalence for IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV2 in the general population of Ahmedabad is 24.20% (95% Confidence Interval 23.57%–24.85%) The sero-positivity has increasing trend with age and is higher among females (24.83%) than males (23.72%) but is statistically not significant. The zone wise positivity ranged from 18.70% to 33.52%. The seropositivity among HCWs, contacts and cases are 20.84%, 26.05% and 54.51% respectively and it closely correlate with the risk. Conclusion: As on October 2020, general population demonstrate a seropositivity of 24.20%. The seropositivity among various groups is according to the risk of contracting the disease. Results also indicate the possibility of undetectable level or disappearing IgG during the post-covid period. Results also indicate that the preventive measures must be strongly followed for continued control of the pandemic situation till an effective vaccine is provided to the people at large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Asian Journal of Medical Sciences is the property of Manipal Colleges of Medical Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

SARS-CoV2 IgG antibody: Seroprevalence among health care workers.

BACKGROUND: Health Care Workers (HCWs) are at higher risk for Covid19. Sero-surveillance among HCWs using IgG antibodies can add further value to the scientific findings. OBJECTIVES: To estimate seropositivity among HCWs and to correlate it with various factors affecting seropositivity. METHODS: Population based large scale sero-surveillance among HCWs was carried out during second half of August'20 in Ahmedabad using "Covid-Kavach" IgG Antibody Detection ELISA kits. Seropositivity among HCWs was estimated and compared with various demographic & other factors to understand their infection & immunity status. Proportions and Z-test were used as appropriate. RESULTS: As on August'20, Seropositivity among HCWs from Ahmedabad is 23.65% (95% Confidence Interval 21.70-25.73%). Seropositivity of 25.98% (95%CI 23.47-28.66) among female HCWs is significantly higher than 19.48% (95%CI 16.53-22.80) among male HCWs. The zone wise positivity among HCWs closely correlate with cases reported from the respective zone. The sero-positivity among HCWs from the earliest and worst affected zones have lower level of seropositivity as compared to the zones affected recently. This might be pointing towards the fact that the IgG Antibodies may not be long lasting. CONCLUSION: As on August 2020, the seropositivity of 23.65% in HCWs indicate high level of disease transmission and higher risk of infection among HCWs in Ahmedabad. The seropositivity is significantly higher among female HCWs. Zone wise seropositivity, closely correlate with the reported cases from the respective zone. Their comparison also indicates the possibility of reducing IgG seropositivity, which necessitates further in-depth scientific research to generate greater scientific evidences.