Immunological Testing for COVID-19 Antibody Detection in Bangkok Urban Communities, Thailand

Abstract

Immunological testing study to detect COVID-19 antibodies in urban communities in Bangkok, Thailand, used a mixed methods research design to detect antibodies against COVID-19 and factors related to the COVID-19 antibodies among people in the Khlong Toei District community and use the information to develop a model for tracking and monitoring the spread of COVID-19 in urban communities. The samples were 2 groups: 1) people in the Khlong Toei District community and 2) administrators and medical personnel. The research tools consisted of an interview form, a COVID-19 screening processing system (ICN Tracking), and Vitros Anti SARs-CoV-2 IgG Quantitative tests. The interview method along with the registration data in the ICN Tracking system of the samples were operated and whole blood samples were sent to the laboratory for detection of COVID-19 antibodies by ECLIA method; the cut off >1 means reactive result, between 4^th May - 20^th, October 2021.

The study reveals that the factors related to COVID-19 infection and the factors related to the SARS-CoV-2 antibodies that significantly (P-value<0.05) those found together include: gender, age group, occupation, number of family members, underlying disease, history of exposure to high-risk groups, type of high-risk groups, history of vaccination. Whereas COVID-19 infection had one additional factor of risk perception and the creation of antibodies against COVID-19 there was a factor of a history of COVID-19 infection involved. The results of creating a model for tracing and monitoring the spread of COVID-19 in urban communities consists of 4 steps: 1) breaking the cycle of the epidemic by early detection, 2) organizing a referral system for early isolating infected cases from other people, 3)household care by taking care the quality of life of infected case while waiting for hospital admission and preventing the spread in the community, and 4) monitoring those who have recoveries by organizing a system to take care of a group of people appropriately Including infected cases, contact cases, recovered cases and general public.