ABSTRACT
Introduction: There are limited data available on the long-term presence of SARS-CoV-2-specific binding antibodies and neutralizing antibodies in circulation among the elderly population. This study aims to examine levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in vaccines who have completed at least 6 months since the second vaccine dose. A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2021 to January 2022 among 199 vaccines aged 60 years and above residing in Belagavi city, who received two doses of the Covishield vaccine. Methods: Antibody response to SARS-COV-2 virus whole cell antigen was measured by a kit COVID KAWACH IgG Micro LISA (J Mitra and Company, India) in 199 participants who had completed at least 6 months after receiving the second dose of Covishield vaccine. The antibody response was measured as a ratio of optical density (OD) in the participant's sample to the mean OD in negative control test by normal (T/N). Independent Kruskal-Wallis test was applied to test the difference between the T/N ratio by months of vaccination since the second dose and by the age group strata. Results: The median T/N values among participants who completed 6, 7, 8, and 9 months since the second vaccine dose were 14.17, 10.46, 7.93, and 5.11, respectively, and this decline in T/N values was statistically significant. Antibody response values showed a decline with increasing age for participants in the age strata 60-69, 70-79, and 80 and above, respectively. Conclusions: A significant decline was observed in antibody response over 9 months supporting the administration of booster dose of vaccine.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic is a major global public health threat. Coronavirus includes a large group of viruses, which infects both humans and animals. China reported the outbreak on December 31, 2019, to World Health Organization. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, USA, has published nonpharmacological interventions such as social distancing, zonal lockdown, rolling lockdown, wearing masks, and washing hands to combat the spread of COVID-19. The present study was conducted to assess the perceptions of people about nonpharmacological interventions in the prevention of COVID-19. Materials and Methods: A facility-based study was conducted among 220 participants from December 01, 2020, to February 28, 2021, among outpatients in the field practice area of urban primary health care Rukmini Nagar, under the administrative control of J. N. Medical College in Belagavi district, Karnataka. Results: A total of 220 participants were interviewed and analyzed for the study. Out of which, 36 (16.4%) were male and 184 (83.6%) were female. One hundred and seventy (77.2%) of the participants practiced good hand hygiene and personal hygiene. One hundred and forty-five (65.9%) of the participants always wore a face mask, when they were going outside. One hundred and eighty-one (82.2%) of the participants started drinking more fluids in the form of water compared with normal days. Conclusion: There was a lack of awareness about face protection and the use of hand sanitizer among the common public. Grassroots level health-care workers such as Accredited Social Health Activist, Anganwadi workers, and community volunteers should be trained for giving health education about nonpharmacological interventions to the public for COVID-19 prevention.