Antibody kinetics in primary- and secondary-care physicians with mild to moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection

ABSTRACT

397 primary- and secondary-care physicians were tested for the presence of IgG (and IgA) antibodies against SARS-coronavirus-2 with a commercially available ELISA. In 19 of 20 individuals with PCR-proven infection and only mild to moderate symptoms not requiring hospitalization positive IgG levels occurred within two to three weeks. Among the remaining 377 persons without clear-cut evidence of infection, unequivocally positive IgG antibodies were found in only one, showing a surprisingly low prevalence (0.3%, 95% CI 0.01-1.5) in physicians with likely contacts with infected patients in a region highly affected by the pandemic (Tyrol, Austria).