SARS-CoV-2 Seropositivity in Nursing Home Staff and Residents during the First SARS-CoV-2 Wave in Flanders, Belgium.

(1) Background: early in the COVID-19 pandemic, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing was limited. Assessing seroprevalence helps understand prevalence and reinfection risk. However, such data are lacking for the first epidemic wave in Belgian nursing homes.

No Significant Association between 25-OH Vitamin D Status and SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Response after COVID-19 Vaccination in Nursing Home Residents and Staff.

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for various physiological functions, including immunity. While it has been suggested that higher vitamin D levels/supplementation are associated with a better immune response to COVID-19 vaccination, conflicting data exist. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D) deficiency/supplementation, and SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses post-vaccination in nursing home residents (NHRs) and staff (NHS).

Humoral and Cellular Responses to COVID-19 Vaccination Indicate the Need for Post-Vaccination Testing in Frail Population.

Despite the high efficacy of the BNT162b2 vaccine in the general population, data on its immunogenicity among frail elderly individuals are limited. Recently, levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike IgG antibodies and serum neutralization titers were confirmed as good immune markers of protection against the virus, with evidence showing a reverse correlation between these two parameters and susceptibility to infection. Here we analyzed sera from 138 nursing home residents (median age of 88.

Comparison of Dried Blood Spots and Venous Blood for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in a Population of Nursing Home Residents.

In the current severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, testing for SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies is paramount for monitoring immune responses in postauthorization vaccination and seroepidemiological studies. However, large-scale and iterative serological testing by venipuncture in older persons can be challenging. Capillary blood sampling using a finger prick and collection on protein saver cards, i.