scholarly journals Evaluation of commercial anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody assays and comparison of standardized titers in vaccinated healthcare workers.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kahina Saker ◽  
Vanessa Escuret ◽  
Virginie Pitiot ◽  
Amélie Massardier-Pilonchéry ◽  
Stéphane Paul ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Conversion Factor ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Internal Standard ◽  
World Health ◽  
Detection Assay ◽  
Antibody Assays ◽  
Previous Infection ◽  
Antibody Titers ◽  
Health Organization

With the availability of vaccines, commercial assays detecting anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (Ab) evolved towards quantitative assays directed to the spike glycoprotein or its receptor binding domain (RBD). The main objective of the present study was to compare the Ab titers obtained with quantitative commercial binding Ab assays, after 1 dose (convalescent individuals) or 2 doses (naïve individuals) of vaccine, in healthcare workers (HCW). Antibody titers were measured in 255 sera (from 150 HCW) with 5 quantitative immunoassays (Abbott RBD IgG II quant, bioMérieux RBD IgG, DiaSorin Trimeric spike IgG, Siemens Healthineers RBD IgG, Wantai RBD IgG). One qualitative total antibody anti RBD detection assay (Wantai) was used to detect previous infection before vaccination. The results are presented in binding Ab units (BAU)/mL after application, when possible, of a conversion factor provided by the manufacturers and established from a World Health Organization (WHO) internal standard. There was a 100% seroconversion with all assays evaluated after two doses of vaccine. With assays allowing BAU/ml correction, Ab titers were correlated (Pearson correlation coefficient, ρ, range: 0.85-0.94). The titer differences varied by a mean of 10.6% between Siemens and bioMérieux assays to 60.9% between Abbott and DiaSorin assays. These results underline the importance of BAU conversion for the comparison of Ab titer obtained with the different quantitative assays. However, significant differences persist, notably, between kits detecting Ab against the different antigens. A true standardization of the assays would be to include the International Standard in the calibration of each assays to express the results in IU/mL

scholarly journals Evaluation of commercial anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody assays and comparison of standardized titers in vaccinated healthcare workers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kahina Saker ◽  
Vanessa Escuret ◽  
Virginie Pitiot ◽  
Amélie Massardier-Pilonchéry ◽  
Stéphane Paul ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Conversion Factor ◽  
Internal Standard ◽  
World Health ◽  
Detection Assay ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Antibody Assays ◽  
Previous Infection ◽  
Antibody Titers ◽  
Health Organization

AbstractWith the availability of vaccines, commercial assays detecting anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (Ab) evolved towards quantitative assays directed to the spike glycoprotein or its receptor binding domain (RBD). The main objective of the present study was to compare the Ab titers obtained with quantitative commercial binding Ab assays, after 1 dose (convalescent individuals) or 2 doses (naive individuals) of vaccine, in healthcare workers (HCW).Antibody titers were measured in 263 sera (from 150 HCW) with 5 quantitative immunoassays (Abbott RBD IgG II quant, bioMerieux RBD IgG, DiaSorin Trimeric spike IgG, Siemens Healthineers RBD IgG, Wantai RBD IgG). One qualitative total antibody anti RBD detection assay (Wantai) was used to detect previous infection before vaccination. The results are presented in binding Ab units (BAU)/mL after application, when possible, of a conversion factor provided by the manufacturers and established from a World Health Organization (WHO) internal standard.There was a 100% seroconversion with all assays evaluated after two doses of vaccine. With assays allowing BAU/ml correction, Ab titers were correlated (ρ= 0.84-0.99). However, a significant difference between values persisted. The titer differences varied by a mean 3.04% between Siemens and bioMerieux assays to 50.54% between Siemens and DiaSorin assays.Titer harmonization is still to be improved despite better results were obtained between assays detecting the same Ab against the same antigen. The next step towards a true standardization of the assays would be to include the International Standard in the calibration of each assays to express the results in IU/mL.

viewpoint TIME TO RESTART: PROTOCOL OF RESUMPTION OF ACTIVITIES OF A DERMATOLOGICAL CLINIC OF A LEVEL II HOSPITAL IN THE COVID-19 ERA. (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federico Diotallevi ◽  
Anna Campanati ◽  
Giulia Radi ◽  
Oriana Simonetti ◽  
Emanuela Martina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
World Health ◽  
New Wave ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Level Ii ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Spread Of Infection ◽  
Hospital Wards ◽  
Medical And Healthcare

UNSTRUCTURED Two months have passed since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the pandemic of the Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19), caused by the SARS CoV-2 virus, on March 11, 2020. Medical and healthcare workers have continued to be on the frontline to defeat this disease, however, continual changes are being made to their working habits which are proving to be difficult. Since the beginning of the pandemic, a major reorganisation of all hospital wards, including dermatological wards, has been carried out in order to make medical and nursing staff available in COVID wards and to prevent the spread of infection. These strategies, which were also adopted in our clinic, proved to be effective, as no staff members or patients were infected by the virus. Now, thanks to the global decrease in SARS-CovV2 infections, it is necessary to make dermatological wards accessible to patients again, but it is also essential to adopt specific protocols to avoid a new wave of infections.

scholarly journals The Utilization of Protective Face Masks among Polish Healthcare Workers during COVID-19 Pandemic: Do We Pass the Exam?

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 841
Author(s):  
Radomir Reszke ◽  
Łukasz Matusiak ◽  
Piotr K. Krajewski ◽  
Marta Szepietowska ◽  
Rafał Białynicki-Birula ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Medical Profession ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Internet Survey ◽  
World Health ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Protective Measures ◽  
Who Criteria ◽  
The Face ◽  
Health Organization

Relevant personal protective measures during the COVID-19 pandemic include face masks, possibly decreasing the risk of infection among the general population and healthcare workers (HCW) if utilized properly. The aim of the study was to assess whether different Polish HCW utilize face masks according to the 2020 World Health Organization guidance (WHO) criteria. This cross-sectional study included 1156 respondents who participated in an internet survey evaluating mask-related behaviors. All the WHO criteria were complied with by 1.4% of participants, regardless of medical profession, specialty or place of employment. HCW mostly adhered to criterion 1 (C1; strict covering of the face and mouth with the mask; 90.8%), C4 (washing/disinfecting the hands after touching/taking off the mask; 49%) and C3 (taking off the mask properly without touching the anterior surface; 43.4%), whereas C2 (avoidance of touching the mask with hands) was complied with least commonly (6.8%). HCW with mask-induced itch (31.6%) complied to C2 less often (odds ratio 0.53; p = 0.01). The study reveals that Polish HCW rarely adhere to all the 2020 WHO guidance criteria on the use of masks, whereas the adherence to particular criteria is variable and may be associated with the presence of skin-related conditions and other factors. Better compliance with the recommendations in the future is necessary to increase personal safety of HCW and prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Vaccination Perception and Attitude among Healthcare Workers in Egypt

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 215013272110133
Author(s):  
Samar Fares ◽  
Merihan M. Elmnyer ◽  
Shimaa Sabry Mohamed ◽  
Radwa Elsayed
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
P Value ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

Introduction COVID-19 pandemic has affected the whole world, especially the frontline worriers. To get shielded through this war, the world is racing to reach and manufacture COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccination hesitancy is one of the significant obstacles to global health. Objectives This study aimed to assess the perception and attitude of healthcare workers in Egypt toward COVID-19 vaccines, acknowledge the determinants of their attitude, and the factors that could increase the acceptance of the vaccine. Methods an observational web-based anonymous survey was conducted on 385 Egyptian healthcare workers in different governorates. The questionnaire-based on Vaccine Hesitancy Survey Questions of the World Health Organization was available in Arabic and English languages and was tested for reliability. Results Regarding vaccination decision, 51% of the participants were undecided, 28% refused, and 21% accepted vaccination. Reasons for vaccine acceptance mainly were risks of COVID-19 (93%), safety (57.5%), and effectiveness (56.25%) of the vaccine. Simultaneously, the reasons for vaccine hesitancy were the absence of enough clinical trials (92.4%) and fear of side effects of the vaccine (91.4%). The leading factor that could increase vaccination acceptance among the participants was to get sufficient and accurate information about the available vaccines. The participants revealed a high mean level of concern for COVID-19 vaccines’ safety (3.8 of 5) that differs significantly among the different study groups ( P-value .002). Conclusion Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, only approximately 21% of Egyptian healthcare workers in our study accepted the COVID-19 vaccination. Vaccine hesitancy represents a major barrier to implementing vaccination programs.

scholarly journals The Mentor Mothers Program in the Department of Defense in Nigeria: An Evaluation of Healthcare Workers, Mentor Mothers, and Patients’ Experiences

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 328
Author(s):  
Josephine Moshe Ibu ◽  
Euphemia Mbali Mhlongo
Keyword(s):  
Department Of Defense ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Hiv Infections ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
World Health ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Analysis Technique ◽  
Hiv Awareness ◽  
Health Organization

Nigeria contributes the highest to the global burden of HIV/AIDS and also accounts for the largest proportion of new vertically transmitted HIV infections among children. The Mentor Mothers program in the Nigerian Department of Defense was introduced in accordance with the World Health Organization and its implementing partner guidelines to curb the high incidence of vertically acquired HIV infections. Understanding the experiences of participants could serve as a gateway to evaluating the effectiveness of the program to better provide quality services within targeted health facilities. This qualitative study employed key informant interviews with six healthcare workers as well as two focus group discussions with six mentor mothers and six prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) patients in four selected hospitals in the Nigerian Department of Defense to explore their experiences of the Mentor Mothers program. A thematic analysis technique was used to analyze the collated data. As a result, four main themes emerged, with the program perceived by most participants as providing psychosocial support to the patients, a valuable educational resource for raising HIV awareness, a valuable resource for promoting exclusive breastfeeding and mitigating vertical transmission of the virus, and functioning as a link between patients and the healthcare system. The participants reported that the program had effectively decreased HIV infections in children, reduced child and maternal mortality, and supported the livelihood and development of women, families, and communities in and around the Nigerian Department of Defense health facilities.

scholarly journals Occupational health risk among healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic: actions to limit the risk

2021 ◽  
Vol 96 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eman Casper
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
World Health ◽  
High Morbidity ◽  
Wuhan City ◽  
Coronavirus Infection ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Respiratory Droplets ◽  
Very High

AbstractThe World Health Organization declared coronavirus infection 2019 (COVID-19) as a pandemic in March 2020. The infection with coronavirus started in Wuhan city, China, in December 2019. As of October 2020, the disease was reported in 235 countries. The coronavirus infection 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease with high morbidity and mortality. As of February 2021, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally is 102,942,987 and 2,232,233 deaths according to WHO report. This infection is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is a ribonucleic acid (RNA) β-coronavirus. The infection is mainly transmitted through respiratory droplets.Healthcare workers (HCWs) play an essential role at the front lines, providing care for patients infected with this highly transmittable disease. They are exposed to very high occupational health risk as they frequently contact the infective persons. In order to limit the number of infected cases and deaths among healthcare workers, it is crucial to have better awareness, optimistic attitude, efficient PPE, and adequate health practices about COVID-19.

scholarly journals Has the COVID 19 Virus Changed Adherence to Hand Washing among Healthcare Workers?

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 53
Author(s):  
Rosalia Ragusa ◽  
Marina Marranzano ◽  
Alessandro Lombardo ◽  
Rosalba Quattrocchi ◽  
Maria Alessandra Bellia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Hand Washing ◽  
World Health ◽  
Patient Contact ◽  
Who Guidelines ◽  
Descriptive Data ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Hospital Wards

The aim of the study was to assess adherence to hand washing by healthcare workers (HCWs) and its variations over time in hospital wards. We wanted to check whether the pandemic had changed the behavior of HCWs. The study was conducted between 1 January 2015, and 31 December 2020. The HCWs were observed to assess their compliance with the Five Moments for Hand Hygiene. We described the percentage of adherence to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines stratified per year, per specialty areas, per different types of HCWs. We also observed the use of gloves. Descriptive data were reported as frequencies and percentages. We observed 13,494 hand hygiene opportunities. The majority of observations concerned nurses who were confirmed as the category most frequently involved with patients. Hospital’s global adherence to WHO guidelines did not change in the last six years. During the pandemic, the rate of adherence to the procedure increased significantly only in Intensive Care Unit (ICU). In 2020, the use of gloves increased in pre-patient contact. The hand-washing permanent monitoring confirmed that it is very difficult to obtain the respect of correct hand hygiene in all opportunities, despite the ongoing pandemic and the fear of contagion.

scholarly journals Immunochromatographic assays for COVID-19 epidemiological screening: our experience

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Bartolini ◽  
Margherita Scapaticci ◽  
Marina Bioli ◽  
Tiziana Lazzarotto ◽  
Maria Carla Re ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
World Health ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Serological Screening ◽  
Rapid Assays ◽  
In Vitro Diagnostic ◽  
Biomedical Prevention ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Performance Validation

In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Due to the absence of effective treatment or biomedical prevention, understanding potential post infection immunity has important implications for epidemiologic assessments. For this reason, increasing number of in vitro diagnostic companies are developing serological assays to detect antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, but most of them lack the validation by third parties in relation to their quality, limiting their usefulness. We submitted to serological screening by two different immunochromatographic (IC) rapid testing for detection of IgG and IgM against SARS-CoV-2, 151 asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic healthcare workers previously tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR in order to evaluate the performance of rapid assays. Results showed discrepancies between molecular and IC results, and an inconsistency of immunoglobulins positivity patterns when compared to ELISA/CLIA results, highlighting the absolute necessity of assays performance validation before their marketing and use, in order to avoid errors in the results evaluation at both clinical and epidemiological level.

scholarly journals Antibody titers measured by commercial assays are correlated with neutralizing antibody titers calibrated by international standards

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-An Kung ◽  
Chung-Guei Huang ◽  
Sheng-Yu Huang ◽  
Kuan-Ting Liu ◽  
Peng-Nien Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Geometric Mean ◽  
Neutralizing Antibody ◽  
Diagnostic Techniques ◽  
International Standards ◽  
World Health ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Antibody Titers ◽  
Health Organization

The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted the importance of an international standard (IS) for SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody titer detection, with the aim of calibrating different diagnostic techniques. In this study, IS was applied to calibrate neutralizing antibody titers (IU/mL) and binding antibody titers (BAU/mL) in response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Serum samples were collected from participants receiving the Moderna (n = 20) and Pfizer (n = 20) vaccines at three time points: pre-vaccination, after one dose, and after two doses. We obtained geometric mean titers of 1404.16 and 928.75 IU/mL for neutralizing antibodies after two doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, respectively. These values provide an important baseline for vaccine development and the implementation of non-inferiority trials. We also compared three commercially available kits from Roche, Abbott, and MeDiPro for the detection of COVID-19 antibodies based on binding affinity to S1 and/or RBD. Our results demonstrated that antibody titers measured by commercial assays are highly correlated with neutralizing antibody titers calibrated by IS.

scholarly journals Correlation of Parenting and Nutrient Intake with Stunting in Children 24-59 Months

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 280-285
Author(s):  
Nelly SD Situmeang ◽  
Etti Sudaryati ◽  
Jumirah
Keyword(s):  
Correlation Analysis ◽  
Nutrient Intake ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Growth Standards ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Surveillance Programs ◽  
Cross Sectional Design ◽  
Health Organization

Stunting is a chronic nutritional problem due to insufficient intake for a long time, in Indonesia the prevalence is high. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies if the length/height z score is below −2 SD. The purpose of this study was to analyze the correlation between parenting, and nutrient intake (energy and protein) with stunting in children aged 24-59 years. This study used a cross sectional design with a sample of 117 children. Data collection was carried out with questionnaire instruments for parenting, and 24-hour food recall for nutritional intake. Data stunting was performed by comparing the height of the children measured by the WHO growth standards. Correlation analysis using Pearson correlation analysis. The results showed that the prevalence of stunting for children aged 24-59 months was 50.4%. There was a significant correlation between parenting with stunting (r = 0.287 and p = 0.02), energy intake with stunting (r = 0.215 and p = 0.020) and protein intake with stunting (r = 0.354 and p = 0.0001). It is recommended that the Ministry of Health improve nutrition surveillance programs, and encourage the community to monitor the growth of children under five years every month in health services.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document