TY - JOUR
T1 - High SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence among Healthcare Workers in Bamako, Mali
AU - Somboro, Anou M.
AU - Cissoko, Yacouba
AU - Camara, Issiaka
AU - Kodio, Ousmane
AU - Tolofoudie, Mohamed
AU - Dembele, Etienne
AU - Togo, Antieme C.G.
AU - Ba, Djibril M.
AU - Sarro, Yeya Dit Sadio
AU - Baya, Bocar
AU - Samake, Seydou
AU - Diallo, Ibrahim B.
AU - Kumar, Alisha
AU - Traore, Mohamed
AU - Kone, Bourahima
AU - Kone, Amadou
AU - Diarra, Bassirou
AU - Dabitao, Djeneba K.
AU - Wague, Mamadou
AU - Dabo, Garan
AU - Doumbia, Seydou
AU - Holl, Jane L.
AU - Murphy, Robert L.
AU - Diallo, Souleymane
AU - Maiga, Almoustapha I.
AU - Maiga, Mamoudou
AU - Dao, Sounkalo
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2022/1
Y1 - 2022/1
N2 - In Mali, a country in West Africa, cumulative confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths among healthcare workers (HCWs) remain enigmatically low, despite a series of waves, circulation of SARS-CoV-2 variants, the country’s weak healthcare system, and a general lack of adherence to public health mitigation measures. The goal of the study was to determine whether exposure is important by assessing the seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in HCWs. The study was conducted between November 2020 and June 2021. HCWs in the major hospitals where COVID-19 cases were being cared for in the capital city, Bamako, Mali, were recruited. During the study period, vaccinations were not yet available. The ELISA of the IgG against the spike protein was optimized and quantitatively measured. A total of 240 HCWs were enrolled in the study, of which seropositivity was observed in 147 cases (61.8%). A continuous increase in the seropositivity was observed, over time, during the study period, from 50% at the beginning to 70% at the end of the study. HCWs who provided direct care to COVID-19 patients and were potentially highly exposed did not have the highest seropositivity rate. Vulnerable HCWs with comorbidities such as obesity, diabetes, and asthma had even higher seropositivity rates at 77.8%, 75.0%, and 66.7%, respectively. Overall, HCWs had high SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence, likely reflecting a “herd” immunity level, which could be protective at some degrees. These data suggest that the low number of cases and deaths among HCWs in Mali is not due to a lack of occupational exposure to the virus but rather related to other factors that need to be investigated.
AB - In Mali, a country in West Africa, cumulative confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths among healthcare workers (HCWs) remain enigmatically low, despite a series of waves, circulation of SARS-CoV-2 variants, the country’s weak healthcare system, and a general lack of adherence to public health mitigation measures. The goal of the study was to determine whether exposure is important by assessing the seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in HCWs. The study was conducted between November 2020 and June 2021. HCWs in the major hospitals where COVID-19 cases were being cared for in the capital city, Bamako, Mali, were recruited. During the study period, vaccinations were not yet available. The ELISA of the IgG against the spike protein was optimized and quantitatively measured. A total of 240 HCWs were enrolled in the study, of which seropositivity was observed in 147 cases (61.8%). A continuous increase in the seropositivity was observed, over time, during the study period, from 50% at the beginning to 70% at the end of the study. HCWs who provided direct care to COVID-19 patients and were potentially highly exposed did not have the highest seropositivity rate. Vulnerable HCWs with comorbidities such as obesity, diabetes, and asthma had even higher seropositivity rates at 77.8%, 75.0%, and 66.7%, respectively. Overall, HCWs had high SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence, likely reflecting a “herd” immunity level, which could be protective at some degrees. These data suggest that the low number of cases and deaths among HCWs in Mali is not due to a lack of occupational exposure to the virus but rather related to other factors that need to be investigated.
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U2 - 10.3390/v14010102
DO - 10.3390/v14010102
M3 - Article
C2 - 35062306
AN - SCOPUS:85122452249
SN - 1999-4915
VL - 14
JO - Viruses
JF - Viruses
IS - 1
M1 - 102
ER -