Seroprevalence of Immunoglobulin G Antibody among Contacts of COVID19 Cases: A Study from India

Abstract

Objective: To estimate Covid19 seropositivity among contacts of cases and to compare the seropositivity among different types of contact for assessing the differential risk & transmission dynamics.Material and Methods: A large-scale population-based serosurvey was carried out among the general population of Ahmedabad during the second half of October 2020. The contacts of cases were selected based on the population proportion and enrolled as an additional category. The seropositivity among the contacts was estimated using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared with different types of contact and available demographic factors.Results: As of October 2020, the seropositivity against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV2) among contacts of cases in Ahmedabad was 26.0% [95% confidence interval 24.2–28.0]. The seropositivity among family contacts was significantly higher (28.8%) compared to other contacts (24.4%) (Z=2.19, p-value=0.028). This trend was seen across all age groups and both sexes. The seropositivity was higher among females (27.7%) compared to males (24.5%) but the difference was statistically not significant (Z=1.64, p-value=0.101). In terms of age groups, the positivity had an increasing trend up to 60 years but declined after that.Conclusion: A seropositivity of 26.0% among contacts indicates that a large proportion of contacts demonstrated Immunoglobulin-G antibodies. This highlights asymptomatic transmission and/or low sensitivity of the diagnostic tests. The current strategy for contact tracing and testing among contacts is justified based on the significantly higher seropositivity among family contacts.

COVID-Kavach-Based Seropositivity in the General Population of Ahmedabad: Just Before the Start of the Vaccination for the Elderly in India

“…Acting upon these guidelines, the health department of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has already completed three serosurveys during 2020 in the months of June, August, and October. Apart from the general population, the second and third serosurveys also covered cases, contacts, and healthcare workers (HCWs) as additional separate categories and all these results have been documented widely [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. The seroprevalence for the immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against SARS-CoV2 among the general population in these three serosurveys was 17.61%, 23.24%, and 24.20%, respectively [7,8,13].…”