Life (Sep 2020)
Seroprevalence of Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 among the Personnel and Students of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece: A Preliminary Report
- Ourania E. Tsitsilonis,
- Dimitrios Paraskevis,
- Evi Lianidou,
- Vassilios Pierros,
- Athanasios Akalestos,
- Efstathios Kastritis,
- Paraskevi Moutsatsou,
- Andreas Scorilas,
- Thomas Sphicopoulos,
- Evangelos Terpos,
- Nikolaos Thomaidis,
- Athanassios Tsakris,
- Nikolaos Voulgaris,
- Christina C. Daskalaki,
- Zoi Evangelakou,
- Christina Fouki,
- Despoina D. Gianniou,
- Sentiljana Gumeni,
- Evangelia-Georgia Kostaki,
- Ioannis V. Kostopoulos,
- Maria S. Manola,
- Nikolaos Orologas-Stavrou,
- Chrysanthi Panteli,
- Eleni-Dimitra Papanagnou,
- Pantelis Rousakis,
- Aimilia D. Sklirou,
- Stavroula Smilkou,
- Dimitra Stergiopoulou,
- Ioannis P. Trougakos,
- Soritios Tsiodras,
- Petros P. Sfikakis,
- Meletios-Athanasios Dimopoulos
Affiliations
- Ourania E. Tsitsilonis
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Dimitrios Paraskevis
- Department of Hygiene Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, School of Medicine, NKUA, 15772 Athens, Greece
- Evi Lianidou
- Department of Chemistry, NKUA, Athens 15771, Greece
- Vassilios Pierros
- Department of Informatics and Telecommunications, NKUA, 15784 Athens, Greece
- Athanasios Akalestos
- Roche Diagnostics (Hellas) S.A., 15125 Marousi, Greece
- Efstathios Kastritis
- Department of Clinical Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Alexandra General Hospital, NKUA, 11528 Athens, Greece
- Paraskevi Moutsatsou
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University General Hospital Attikon, NKUA, 12462 Haidari, Greece
- Andreas Scorilas
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Thomas Sphicopoulos
- Department of Informatics and Telecommunications, NKUA, 15784 Athens, Greece
- Evangelos Terpos
- Department of Clinical Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Alexandra General Hospital, NKUA, 11528 Athens, Greece
- Nikolaos Thomaidis
- Department of Chemistry, NKUA, Athens 15771, Greece
- Athanassios Tsakris
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, NKUA, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Nikolaos Voulgaris
- Department of Geology and Geoenvironment, NKUA, 15784 Athens, Greece
- Christina C. Daskalaki
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Zoi Evangelakou
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Christina Fouki
- Department of Hygiene Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, School of Medicine, NKUA, 15772 Athens, Greece
- Despoina D. Gianniou
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Sentiljana Gumeni
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Evangelia-Georgia Kostaki
- Department of Hygiene Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, School of Medicine, NKUA, 15772 Athens, Greece
- Ioannis V. Kostopoulos
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Maria S. Manola
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Nikolaos Orologas-Stavrou
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Chrysanthi Panteli
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Eleni-Dimitra Papanagnou
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Pantelis Rousakis
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Aimilia D. Sklirou
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Stavroula Smilkou
- Department of Chemistry, NKUA, Athens 15771, Greece
- Dimitra Stergiopoulou
- Department of Chemistry, NKUA, Athens 15771, Greece
- Ioannis P. Trougakos
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), 15784 Athens, Greece
- Soritios Tsiodras
- Fourth Department of Propedeutic Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University General Hospital Attikon, NKUA, 12462 Haidari, Greece
- Petros P. Sfikakis
- First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Laiko General Hospital, NKUA, 15772 Athens, Greece
- Meletios-Athanasios Dimopoulos
- Department of Clinical Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Alexandra General Hospital, NKUA, 11528 Athens, Greece
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/life10090214
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 10,
no. 9
p. 214
Abstract
Due to early implementation of public health measures, Greece had low number of SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 severe incidents in hospitalized patients. The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (ΝΚUA), especially its health-care/medical personnel, has been actively involved in the first line of state responses to COVID-19. To estimate the prevalence of antibodies (Igs) against SARS-CoV-2 among NKUA members, we designed a five consecutive monthly serosurvey among randomly selected NKUA consenting volunteers. Here, we present the results from the first 2500 plasma samples collected during June–July 2020. Twenty-five donors were tested positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 Igs; thus, the overall seroprevalence was 1.00%. The weighted overall seroprevalence was 0.93% (95% CI: 0.27, 2.09) and varied between males [1.05% (95% CI: 0.18, 2.92)] and females [0.84% (95% CI: 0.13, 2.49)], age-groups and different categories (higher in participants from the School of Health Sciences and in scientific affiliates/faculty members/laboratory assistants), but no statistical differences were detected. Although focused on the specific population of NKUA members, our study shows that the prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 Igs for the period June–July 2020 remained low and provides knowledge of public health importance for the NKUA members. Given that approximately one in three infections was asymptomatic, continuous monitoring of the progression of the pandemic by assessing Ig seroprevalence is needed.
Keywords
- SARS-CoV-2 antibodies
- seroepidemiological study
- seroprevalence
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
