In 2003, the human coronavirus was first detected. These viruses cause infections of the respiratory system in humans that may vary from mild to fatal. SARS-CoV-2 was discovered as a bat-borne virus. It has been shown that the SARS-CoV-2 virus shares 96% of its genome with the BatCov RaTG13 coronavirus strain, which belongs to the Betacoronavirus genus1. In 2003, a severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic was triggered by SARA-CoV in Asia, with secondary cases reported around the globe. Over 8,000 persons were afflicted, with approximately 10% of those infected dying2.
In September 2012, a novel coronavirus strain was detected in Jaddah, dubbed the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV)3.
COVID-19 illness, caused by a new corona virus, was first found in December 2019 in the Wuhan city of China. COVID − 19 was labeled a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020, when it breached international boundaries. Due to the fact that Covid-19 is a novel disease, little information on its routes of transmission, incubation time, clinical spectrum, and period of communicability was available4–7. The first verified case was reported in Bangladesh on 8 March 2020. Then it spread fast across Bangladesh8.
Serosuveys often disclose the fraction of the population that has been exposed to or vaccinated against a pathogen, the degree of population immunity to one or more infectious illnesses, and gaps in immunity caused by those who are not vaccinated or previously affected.
Conducting population-based surveillance for severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) allows for the estimation and monitoring of infection trends in the general population, the identification of sociodemographic risk factors, and the delineation of the infection's geographical spread.
For disease monitoring, serology testing is critical. Numerous nations have reported the use of serologic testing to detect SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. In Finland and the United States, rapid tests were employed; in the United States, lateral flow immunoassays were used; and in France and Germany, ELISA-based tests were used. Scotland and the United States of America 9–16. Drive-through testing in the United States of America, school-based testing in France, testing in retirement homes in Sweden, representative community screening in Germany, volunteer screening in Italy, and community-wide testing using a variety of strategies in the United States of America all illustrate the various strategies for conducting community-based testing10–14,17−21. The prevalence of positivity in population-based community screening varied from 0.5 percent in San Miguel County to 14% in Gangelt, Germany, and New York, USA14,19,21. A greater positive rate found after representative recruitment, such as the attempt in New York, in which over 3000 subjects were tested across 40 sites in 19 counties, may reflect the scope of the population exposed to SARS-CoV-221.
In our neighboring nation, India, several sero-surveillance operations have been done across the country. Between 27th June and 10th July 2020, a research done in Delhi by the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) in partnership with the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi discovered that 23.48 percent of the population was seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody by ELISA22. Between 1st and 7th August, the 2nd serological survey discovered that the figure had climbed to 28.3 percent. This indicates that a sizable part of Delhi's inhabitants was perhaps exposed to the virus, far greater than the number of confirmed cases (as determined by RT-PCR, CB-NAAT, and antigen testing) indicates23.
Between April and October 2020, a research done in Bangladesh found that the countrywide seroprevalence rates of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM were 30.4 percent and 39.7 percent, respectively. In Dhaka's non-slum regions, the seroprevalence of IgG was 35.4 percent, whereas it was 63.5 percent in slum neighborhoods. Outside of Dhaka, metropolitan regions had a seroprevalence of 37.5 percent, while rural areas had a seroprevalence of 28.7 percent24.
The garment sector in our nation is the primary pillar of our economy. It has developed into a significant source of foreign currency, generating around $ 5 billion in merchandise each year. It employs over 3 million people, 90% of whom are women [BGMEA]. 25–31. COVID − 19 infection and death are uncommon among textile workers. No research has been undertaken in Bangladesh to determine whether or whether garment workers gained immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The study's findings established a foundation of scientific evidence that can be used to guide the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturer and Export Association (BGMEA), the Government of Bangladesh, and the top management of the garment industry in developing strategies for infection control, immunization, and proper manpower management, all of which will contribute to increasing the output of this industry and boosting the country's economy by earning more foreign currency.
As a result, a population-based sero-surveillance study including garment workers was suggested to monitor and produce SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.
Objectives:
Secondary Objectives Were
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To determine the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody in garment workers according to their age and gender.
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To assess the formation of immunity (IgG) conferring antibodies in garment workers after spontaneous infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.