Aims

• Contribute to public health policy by tracking the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic in a healthy donor population

Key Findings

• Earliest serological detection of SARS-CoV-2 we reported in our Irish donor population
• Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 antibody reactivity across all donor age groups and counties documenting the evolution of COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland over time.
  • Confirmed circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in Irish blood donors prior to first national notification of infection. Dearbhla Butler, Dermot Coyne, Louise Pomeroy, Pádraig Williams, Paul Holder, Alex Carterson, Stephen Field, Allison Waters, Niamh O'Flaherty. J Clin Virol. 2022; 146: 105045
• Cough, fever and contact with a known COVID-19 case and travel to an affected region were the most common features reported by patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection tested in the community.
  • Partial compliance with symptom-based testing pathways reveals asymptomatic carriage of SARS-CoV-2 in Ireland. Grace Yixin Chan, Lillian Rajan, Cillian De Gascun, Niamh O'Flaherty. Ir J Med Sci. 2021 May;190(2):485-489.

• Key contributor to theNational Serosurveillance Programme (NSP) | Seroepidemiology of COVID-19 in Ireland

On-going Research

• Continued monitoring the SARS-CoV-2 serological profile in blood donors following the roll-out of national vaccination and booster programmes
• Critical evaluation of the performance and utility of SARS-CoV-2 serological screening assays in a healthy  population