Seroprevalence of Sars-Cov-2 antibodies among eligible blood donors of Peshawar, Pakistan

• Published in: American journal of blood research Vol. 12; no. 3; pp. 88 - 96
• Main Authors: Khan, Muhammad Nisar, Khan, Haleema, Shahzad, Muhammad, Ibrahim, Muhammad, Arif, Muhammad, Kibria, Zeeshan, Waheed, Usman, Saba, Noore, Shah, Inayat, Yousafzai, Yasar Mehmood
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: e-Century Publishing Corporation 20.06.2022
• Subjects: Original
• ISSN: 2160-1992; 2160-1992

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVESTo determine the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and the associated risk factors among healthy blood donors from Peshawar Pakistan, during the second and third waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODSThe study was conducted on 4047 healthy (with no history or symptoms of COVID-19) blood donors attending regional blood center Peshawar between Nov 2020 and June 2021. Demographic data was collected and donors were screened for the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA). RESULTSThe mean age of the participants was 27.27±7.13 and the majority (99%) were males. Overall, 59% (2391/4047) of the blood donors were reactive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. An increasing trend in seropositivity was observed from 45.5% to 64.8% corresponding to the second and third wave of the pandemic in Pakistan. Logistic regression analysis revealed significantly higher odds of seropositivity among male donors compared to females. Similarly, in multivariable analysis, the odds ratio for seropositivity among blood types AB, A, and B were, 1.6, 1.4, and 1.3 (CI 95%) times higher compared to blood group O (P-value ≤0.0001). CONCLUSIONSSeropositivity of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among blood donors gradually increased during the second and third wave of the pandemic in Pakistan indicating a widespread prevalence of Covid-19 in the general population. Susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 varies with ABO blood types, with blood group O associated with low risk of infection.