The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 during the first wave in Europe 2020: A systematic review

Vaselli, Natasha Marcella; Hungerford, Daniel; Shenton, Benjamin; Khashkhusha, Arwa; Cunliffe, Nigel A.; French, Neil

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0250541

Cited by 25 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 90 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Our data support several other studies demonstrating that there is no sex-related impact on the SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence rate, as reviewed by Vaselli et al [ 25 ] and Lai et al [ 31 ]. Furthermore, our data are in line with the study from Xiang et al who showed that the decline in SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels against the viral N-protein in hospitalized patients is independent of sex and age [ 32 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…This method further allowed the screening for all variants of SARS-CoV-2 known so far but not their discrimination as, to date, mutations mainly affect the viral S-protein. The data obtained in this study reflect the infection-induced seroprevalence rates found for blood donors in many European countries as reviewed by Vaselli et al, [ 25 ], but also other countries with comparable health care systems such as the USA [ 26 ] and the UAE [ 27 ]. Blood donors positively screened for naturally acquired SARS-CoV-2 anti-N total antibodies were invited to participate in the present study.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Persistence of Naturally Acquired and Functional SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Blood Donors One Year after Infection

Nunhofer

Weidner

Hoeggerl

et al. 2022

Viruses

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The developmental course of antibodies produced after a SARS-CoV-2 infection has been insufficiently investigated so far. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels against the viral nucleocapsid- and spike-protein among Austrian blood donors as a representative group of a supposedly healthy population within the first year after a SARS-CoV-2 infection. The impact of age, sex, vaccination status, AB0-blood group and awareness about the infection was evaluated. Our study shows that the level of anti-N antibodies is declining, while anti-S antibody levels remain stable. Antibodies detected were functional in vitro. Age, sex and blood group do not influence antibody dynamics. However, blood group AB shows significantly lower antibody levels and in vitro functionality compared to other blood groups. Our data reveal that one out of five individuals was not aware of a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and that the disease course neither affects the level of antibody production nor the in vitro functionality. We also found that 14% of participants show persisting COVID-19-related symptoms for up to nine months. Our results provide valuable insights into the dynamics of the immune response after a SARS-CoV-2 infection in a representative cohort of adult blood donors in Central Europe.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Persistence of Naturally Acquired and Functional SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Blood Donors One Year after Infection

Nunhofer

Weidner

Hoeggerl

et al. 2022

Viruses

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In most countries the proportion infected in the first wave up to August 2020 was less than 10% [12, 13]. Even in Iran, the first country outside China to be severely affected, seroprevalence was only 17% at the end of April 2020 [14].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the UK the reproduction number is estimated to have fallen from about 3 at the start of the epidemic to about 0.5 in mid-April 2020, staying at around 0.8 until late summer [22, 23]. It is estimated that contact rates fell by 60% to 80% [12, 21, 24] after lockdown in comparison with the pre-pandemic period in the UK and other European countries.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Limitations of models for guiding policy in the COVID-19 pandemic

Wood

2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

At the outset of the COVID-19 epidemic in the UK, infectious disease modellers advised the government that unless a lockdown was imposed, most of the population would be infected within a few months and critical care capacity would be overwhelmed. This paper investigates the quantitative arguments underlying these predictions, and draws lessons for future policy.The modellers assumed that within age bands all individuals were equally susceptible and equally connected, leading to predictions that more than 80% of the population would be infected in the first wave of an unmitigated epidemic. Models that relax this unrealistic assumption to allow for selective removal of the most susceptible and connected individuals predict much smaller epidemic sizes. In most European countries no more than 10% of the population was infected in the first wave, irrespective of what restrictions were imposed. The modellers assumed that about 2% of those infected would require critical care, far higher than the proportion who entered critical care in the first wave, and failed to identify the key role of nosocomial transmission in overloading health systems. Model-based forecasts that only a lockdown could suppress the epidemic relied on a survey of contact rates in 2006, with no information on the types of contact most relevant to aerosol transmission or on heterogeneity of contact rates.In future epidemics, modellers should communicate the uncertainties associated with their assumptions and data, especially when these models are used to recommend policies that have high societal costs and are hard to reverse. Recognition of the gap between models and reality also implies a need to rebalance in favour of greater reliance on rapid studies of real-world transmission, robust model criticism, and acceptance that when measurements contradict model predictions it is the model that needs to be changed.

show abstract

“…A similar study performed by Hossain et al found a higher rate of seroprevalence in the USA (12.4%) compared to the seroprevalence rates in Europe (7.7%) and Asia (4.8%) [ 21 ]. The study performed by Houlihan et al in London reported that 45.3% of HCWs were seropositive [ 22 ] , and Vaselli et al reported that the seroprevalence was higher among the HCWs in the UK compared to the HCWs in the rest of Europe during the months of March and August 2020 [ 23 ]. Likewise, the study by Müller et al in the African countries found the seroprevalence to range from 0% to 45.1% [ 24 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Screening in Healthcare Workers and Its Correlation with Clinical Presentation in Tertiary Care Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal, from November 2020 to January 2021

Aryal

Pandit

Pokhrel

et al. 2022

Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Infectious Diseases

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background. Antibody titer and the life span of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 have been found to be associated with the clinical presentation in individuals. The extent of exposure of healthcare workers and the general public to SARS-CoV-2 needs to be assessed to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, this study is an attempt in assessing the anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody in health care workers. Methods. This laboratory-based cross-sectional study was performed in Manmohan Memorial Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu from November 2020 to January 2021. A total of 185 HCWs were enrolled in this study. Their serum samples were screened for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, and a structured questionnaire was administered to collect further information. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody screening was performed using lateral flow immunoassay. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results. Among 185 HCWs that participated in the study, 41 (22.2%) tested positive for the anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody. Of these 41 HCWs, 37 tested positive for IgG only and 4 of them tested positive for both IgM and IgG antibodies. The presence of the previous history of SARS-CoV-2 infection ( p < 0.001 ), the presence of flu-like symptoms within the last 6 months ( p < 0.001 ), and the presence of positive contact history ( p = 0.002 ) were statistically significant with the presence of the antibody among HCWs. Conclusion. Healthcare workers carry a high burden of SARS-CoV-2 infection and are at risk of acquiring infection from their workplace. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody screening among healthcare workers is highly recommended in multiple healthcare settings as it can help in monitoring transmission dynamics and evaluation of infection control policies.

show abstract

The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 during the first wave in Europe 2020: A systematic review

Cited by 25 publications

References 90 publications

Persistence of Naturally Acquired and Functional SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Blood Donors One Year after Infection

Persistence of Naturally Acquired and Functional SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Blood Donors One Year after Infection

Limitations of models for guiding policy in the COVID-19 pandemic

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Screening in Healthcare Workers and Its Correlation with Clinical Presentation in Tertiary Care Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal, from November 2020 to January 2021

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About