Seroprevalence of MERS-CoV IgG in Healthcare Workers

Overview

The investigators aim to do serosurvey of healthcare-personnel who had participated in treatment of confirmed patients of Middle-East respiratory syndrome. The investigators collected the base-line (pre-exposure) serum of healthcare-personnel in a few centers, and will collect the post-exposure serum from about 25-30 centers in which confirmed MERS patients had been treated. The investigators will deduct the seroprevalence of MERS-CoV IgG among the healthy healthcare-personnel, and calculate the sero-conversion rate if possible. The investigators will subdivided the seroprevalence according to the degree of exposure and preparedness of personal protective equipment.

We aim to deduct the seroprevalence of healthcare-personnel (HCP) who had participated in treatment of confirmed patients of Middle-East respiratory syndrome. In first step, we collected the base-line (pre-exposure) serum from the HCP who worked in the hospitals in which confirmed MERS patients were treated. Pre-exposure serum was collected in a few centers. If the serum was drawn within 3 weeks from initial exposure, then the serum was considered adequate as pre-exposure. (Because, antibody against the MERS-CoV would be produced after more the 17-21 days of exposure). The serum was frozen. In second step, we will collect the post-exposure serum from the HCP who worked in the hospitals in which confirmed MERS patients were treated or detected. We plan to include 25-30 centers. The timing of sample collection is 6-8 weeks after last contact with confirmed MERS patients. The serum will also freeze. In third step, we will assay the presence of antibody in collected sample. We will use MERS-CoV ELISA kit (EUROIMMUNE co.) as screening test and MERS-CoV IFA kit (EUROIMMUNE co.) as confirm test.

Conditions

Eligibility