Screening of potential donors for immunoglobulins M and G to new coronavirus infection

This study presents the results of the examination of potential donors of blood and its components for immunoglobulins M and G to patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) living in St. Petersburg. A total of 6782 people aged 18−24 years were evaluated, which accounted for 2.07% of the region’s population (326 760 people) of this age group. The study was carried out in the spring and autumn of 2020. A negative result (absence of antibodies) was obtained in 93.5% of the participants. The rates of immunoglobulins M and M + G were 0.58% and 4.18%, respectively, in the spring and autumn. Moreover, the number of participants who had immunoglobulins M and G + M in the autumn period was four times higher than the indicators of the spring period, which indicated greater infection activities in the population during this period. This is most likely due to the active movement of the population in the summer. When comparing the rates of COVID-19 infection and the frequency of occurrence in donors of the same age, markers of human immunodeficiency virus 1 and 2 and hepatitis B and C in 2020 (0.024, 0.012 and 0.13%, respectively) indicate the urgency of the problem of donor selection during blood services, especially during a difficult epidemiological situation because of COVID-19. Along with organizational measures for the selection of donors (e.g., attracting individuals from organized groups in which there are no signs of an unfavorable epidemiological situation to donation), mandatory testing of potential donors for immunoglobulins M and G should be considered.