Diagnostic Value of IgM and IgG Detection in COVID-19 Diagnosis by the Mobile Laboratory B-LiFE: A Massive Testing Strategy in the Piedmont Region

Omar Nyabi, Mostafa Bentahir, Jérôme Ambroise, Bertrand Bearzatto, Nawfal Chibani, Benjamin Smits, Jean François Durant, Aleksandr Vybornov, Olivier Thellin, Benaissa El Moualij and Jean-Luc Gala
Additional contact information
Omar Nyabi: Center for Applied Molecular Technologies (CTMA), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Woluwe saint-Lambert, Belgium
Mostafa Bentahir: Center for Applied Molecular Technologies (CTMA), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Woluwe saint-Lambert, Belgium
Jérôme Ambroise: Center for Applied Molecular Technologies (CTMA), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Woluwe saint-Lambert, Belgium
Bertrand Bearzatto: Center for Applied Molecular Technologies (CTMA), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Woluwe saint-Lambert, Belgium
Nawfal Chibani: Center for Applied Molecular Technologies (CTMA), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Woluwe saint-Lambert, Belgium
Benjamin Smits: Center for Applied Molecular Technologies (CTMA), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Woluwe saint-Lambert, Belgium
Jean François Durant: Center for Applied Molecular Technologies (CTMA), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Woluwe saint-Lambert, Belgium
Aleksandr Vybornov: Center for Applied Molecular Technologies (CTMA), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Woluwe saint-Lambert, Belgium
Olivier Thellin: Centre de Recherche sur les Protéines Prions (CRPP) ULiège, Quartier Hôpital, 15, Avenue Hippocrate, B 4000 Liège, Belgium
Benaissa El Moualij: Centre de Recherche sur les Protéines Prions (CRPP) ULiège, Quartier Hôpital, 15, Avenue Hippocrate, B 4000 Liège, Belgium
Jean-Luc Gala: Center for Applied Molecular Technologies (CTMA), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348 Woluwe saint-Lambert, Belgium

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 7, 1-10

Abstract: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute infectious disease caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) identified in 2019. The COVID-19 outbreak continues to have devastating consequences for human lives and the global economy. The B-LiFe mobile laboratory in Piedmont, Italy, was deployed for the surveillance of COVID-19 cases by large-scale testing of first responders. The objective was to assess the seroconversion among the regional civil protection (CP), police, health care professionals, and volunteers. The secondary objective was to detect asymptomatic individuals within this cohort in the light of age, sex, and residence. In this paper, we report the results of serological testing performed by the B-LiFe mobile laboratory deployed from 10 June to 23 July 2020. The tests included whole blood finger-prick and serum sampling for detection of SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain (S-RBD) antibodies. The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was approximately 5% (294/6013). The results of the finger-prick tests and serum sample analyses showed moderate agreement (kappa = 0.77). Furthermore, the detection rates of serum antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (NP) and S-RBD among the seroconverted individuals were positively correlated (kappa = 0.60), at least at the IgG level. Seroprevalence studies based on serological testing for the S-RBD protein or SARS-CoV-2 NP antibodies are not sufficient for diagnosis but might help in screening the population to be vaccinated and in determining the duration of seroconversion.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; Public Health Preparedness; emerging biological threats (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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