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. 2022 Apr 14;17(4):e0266923.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266923. eCollection 2022.

Role of serology tests in COVID-19 non-hospitalized patients: A cross-sectional study

Mohammad Taghi Haghi Ashtiani  1   2 , Parisa Sadeghi Rad  1   2 , Kosar Asnaashari  1   2   3 , Alireza Shahhosseini  1 , Fatemeh Berenji  1 , Setareh Mamishi  1   2
Affiliations

Role of serology tests in COVID-19 non-hospitalized patients: A cross-sectional study

Mohammad Taghi Haghi Ashtiani et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) has imposed catastrophic impressions on the world. After all the focused researches conducted in the COVID-19 area, many features remain obscure. We have surveyed 1,363 outpatients with suspected COVID-19 in Tehran, Iran. The analysis emphasized on characteristics of patients with positive PCR or serology of SARS-CoV-2.

Methods: The nasopharyngeal swabs were tested for SARS-CoV2 PCR. Serum specimens were tested for SARS-CoV2 IgG and IgM. Clinical presentations of the patients, history of chronic diseases or drug use, contact with a possible COVID-19 patient and previous infection with SARS-COV2 were investigated.

Results: Of the total 1,363 investigated patients, 22% had positive SARS-CoV-2 PCRs, 82% had positive IgG, 38% had positive IgM, and 31% had both positive IgM and IgG values. Positive serologic tests were significantly associated with a positive PCR test obtained previously in the course of the current disease (P value<0.001). IgG and IgM antibody values were significantly associated with underlying disease, cough, fever, chills, fatigue, and myalgia (all P values <0.001). Dyspnea was significantly associated with IgG levels (P value = 0.01), yet it was not associated with IgM serology (P value = 0.2). Positive serology tests were not associated with symptoms of coryza. GI symptoms were not associated with positive IgG test (P value = 0.1), yet it did show an association with positive IgM test (P value = 0.02). Cough, fever, chills, myalgia fatigue, dyspnea, and GI symptoms were all significantly associated with positive PCR (all P values <0.001), and symptoms of coryza did not show a significant relationship (P value = 0.8).

Conclusion: Assessing antibody titers in outpatients is invaluable due to the epidemiological importance of investigations in mild or even asymptomatic cases. Since the number of such studies in non-hospitalized patients is not high, the current study can be used as a comparison model.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Age distribution of the participants.
Fig 2
Fig 2. The distribution of SARS-CoV-2 serology groups in PCR positive and negative patients.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Grants and funding

The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.