Evaluation of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG Antibody in Healthcare Professionals Infected with COVID-19

ABSTRACT

Background: The knowledge of antibody's significance and frequency in patients cured of severe acute respiratory syndrome coro Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in patients exposed to SARS-CoV-2. Methods: Healthcare professionals infected with SARS-CoV-2 were enrolled in this study. The levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies were detected 15 days after the onset of symptoms and five months later. Results: A total of 167 patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were evaluated, including 119 (71.3%) females and 48 (28.7%) males. Of the 88 polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive patients, 55 (62.5%) had IgG-positive antibodies, and of the 79 reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR-negative patients, 12 (16.9%) had IgG-positive antibodies. Out of 23 anosmia cases, 19 (82.6%) had positive antibodies. There was a significant relationship between anosmia and positive antibody (P = 0.001), but there was no correlation between antibody titers and gender and other disease symptoms. Immortally, 63 (94%) cases demonstrated high levels of anti-SARSCoV-2 IgG antibodies after five months of infection. Moreover, 6.5% (N = 11) of the total population were re-infected with COVID-19 Conclusions: Overall, anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies detection maybe an appropriate method to identify suspected patients with a negative RT-PCR test. Antibodies can remain high in most infected patients for up to five months after infection. Moreover, anosmia seems to be a valuable diagnostic factor, and the healthcare system should implement isolation measures for patients with anosmia.