Investigation and Analysis of Laboratory Results of Anti- SARS-COV-2 IGM and IGG Antibodies among Women and Children Admitted to Al-Batoul Maternity and Childhood Teaching Hospital, Diyala, Iraq: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Background: The rapid spread of COVID-19 has placed over the world in an advanced-level health emergency.

Objectives: This  retrospective observational study aimed to reveal the statistical profile of SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG using laboratory records that included  COVID-19 and other viral tests at Al-Batoul Maternity and Childhood Teaching Hospital, Diyala, Iraq. Patients and

Methods: This  retrospective study was conducted from December 2021 to February 2024. The laboratory results records were used to extract serological  test data and demographic information for patients who were admitted to Al-Batoul Hospital between December 1, 2021, and  December 1, 2022. The study included 818 inpatient patients, women and children who underwent antibody tests for COVID-19. The  data were analysed using SPSS version 20, using the chi-square test.

Results: This study included 818 hospitalized women and children  with laboratory results for IgM and IgG antibodies. Among the women participating in this study, only thirty-nine (4.5%) had  seropositivity for IgM antibodies, and one hundred fifty-seven (21.7%) had seropositivity for IgG antibodies. Only four children had anti- SARS-CoV-2 IgM antibodies (positive rate of 4.3%), and eighteen children had anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies (9.3%). The seasonal  attributes of COVID-19 infection remained indeterminate in this investigation.

Conclusion: To our knowledge, there are few reports on  the susceptibility of women and children to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The presence of antibodies among (non) pregnant women and children  is evidence of ongoing infections.