• Bahar Hassanmirzaei, Zohreh Haratian, Ali Ahmadzadeh Amiri, Amir Ahmadzadeh Amiri, and Navid Moghadam.
• Sports Medicine Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (the Islamic Republic of).
• Postgrad Med J. 2022 Jul 1; 98 (1161): 529532529-532.

Purpose Of The StudyPCR is the current standard test for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, due to its limitations, serological testing is considered an alternative method for detecting SARS-CoV-2 exposure. In this study, we measured the level of SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies of male professional football players and compared the results with the standard PCR test to investigate the association between the two tests.Study DesignParticipants were male professional football players and team officials. Nasopharyngeal swabs and peripheral blood samples were collected for the PCR and serological tests, respectively. Also, previous records of COVID-19 testing and symptoms were gathered. Those with previous positive PCR tests who tested negative for the second time were considered to be recovered patients.ResultsOf the 1243 subjects, 222 (17.9%) were seropositive, while 29 (2.3%) tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 PCR test. Sixty percent of symptomatic cases with a negative PCR were found to be seropositive. The mean level of IgM was significantly higher in PCR-positive and symptomatic subjects, whereas the recovered cases showed significantly higher levels of IgG.ConclusionOur study revealed an inconsistency of results between the two tests; therefore, although application of serological assays alone seems insufficient in diagnosing COVID-19 disease, the findings are beneficial in the comprehension and the management of the disease.© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.

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