• Abdulrahman A Housawi, Shazada Junaid S Qazi, Abdulhalem A Jan, Rashid A Osman, Mashil M Alshamrani, Talal A AlFaadhel, Fayez F AlHejaili, Jaffar A Al-Tawfiq, Ahmed A Wafa, Abdulmageed E Hamza, Moustafa A Hassan, Suliman A Alharbi, Hamza Albasheer, Majed M Almohmmdi, Salem A Alsisi, Michal Mankowski, Joris Van de Klundert, Amal M Alhelal, Fatima H Sala, Ali Kheyami, and Bader A Alhomayeed.
• From the Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• Ann Saudi Med. 2022 Jul 1; 42 (4): 246-251.

BackgroundSince the occurrence of coronavirus disease in 2019 (COVID-19), the global community has witnessed its exponential spread with devastating outcomes within the general population and specifically within hemodialysis patients.ObjectivesCompare the state of immunity to SARS-CoV-2 among hemodialysis patients and staff.DesignCross-sectional study with a prospective follow-up period.SettingHemodialysis centers in Madinah region.Patients And MethodsWe prospectively tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in dialysis patients using dialysis centers staff as controls. The participants were tested on four occasions when feasible for the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. We also analyzed factors that might be associated with seropositivity.Main Outcome MeasuresSARS-CoV-2 positivity using immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels SAMPLE SIZE: 830 participants, 677 patients and 153 dialysis centers staff as controls.ResultsOf the total participants, 325 (257 patients and 68 staff) were positive for SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies, for a prevalence of 38.0% and 44.4% among patients and staff, respectively (P=.1379). Participants with a history of COVID-19 or related symptoms were more likely to have positive IgG (P<.0001). Surprisingly, positivity was also center-dependent. In a multivariable logistic regression, a history of infection and related symptoms contributed significantly to developing immunity.ConclusionThe high prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibody among hemodialysis patients and previously asymptomatic staff suggested past asymptomatic infection. Some centers showed more immunity effects than others.LimitationsUnable to collect four samples for each participant; limited to one urban center.Conflict Of InterestNone.

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