Open AccessAntibody seroprevalence against SARS-CoV-2 within the Canton of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina—One year later
Author(s) -
Jasminka Prguda-Mujić,
Osman Hasanić,
Larisa Bešić,
Adna Ašić,
Sabina Halilović,
Aida Kulo Ćesić,
Neira Ljevakovic,
Fildesa Muminovic,
Sukrija Huseinovic,
Daria Ler,
Lana Salihefendić,
Rijad Konjhodžić,
Dragan Primorac,
Damir Marjanović
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0265431
Subject(s) - seroprevalence , medicine , population , demography , pandemic , covid-19 , antibody , serology , environmental health , immunology , disease , sociology , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Background Serostudies are important resources when following pandemics and predicting their further spread, as well as determining the length of protection against reinfection and vaccine development. The aim of this study was to update data on the prevalence of seropositive individuals in Canton Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) from September 2020 to May 2021. Methods Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were quantified using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Results Compared to the period April–July 2020, when anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected in 3.77% of samples, one year later (May 2021) the estimated percentage within the same population of the urban Canton Sarajevo was 29.9% (5,406/18,066). Of all anti-SARS-CoV-2 Ig-positive individuals, 53.27% were men, and 69.00% were of 50 years of age or younger. Also, the current update found the individuals 50 years of age or younger to be more frequently anti-SARS-CoV-2 Ig positive compared to older individuals. On the other hand, higher median anti-SARS-CoV-2 Ig levels were found in individuals > 50 years old than in younger individuals, as well as in men compared to women. Seropositivity gradually increased from September 2020 to May 2021, with the lowest frequency of positive cases (3.5%) observed in September 2020, and the highest frequency (77.7%) in January 2021. Conclusion Our results provided important seroprevalence data that could help in planning restrictive local public health measures to protect the population of Sarajevo Canton, especially considering that at the time of the study the vaccines were virtually inaccessible to the general population not belonging to any of the high-priority groups for vaccination.