A second dramatic rise in seroprevalence rates of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among adult healthy blood donors in Jordan; have we achieved herd immunity?

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the impact of the second wave of COVID-19 and the vaccination campaign on the seroprevalence rates of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among healthy blood donors in Jordan. Methods: Sera from 536 healthy adult blood donors collected in June -2021 were tested using a commercially available quantitative assay for the total antibodies including IgG against the spike (S) protein receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2. Results: 399 (74.4%) of the donors tested positive for the antibodies of whom 69 (17.3%) were confirmed to have been previously infected, 245(61.4%) have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 123(30.8%) were neither diagnosed nor vaccinated. The seropositive donors were significantly more likely to have been vaccinated or previously infected. Conclusion: The crude seroprevalence rate of 74.4% among this group of healthy donors may be encouraging in terms of approaching herd immunity, however with predominance of the delta variant and the uncertainty regarding the required level of herd immunity this goal appears to be far from full achievement in Jordan.