TY - JOUR
T1 - Low SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in blood donors in the early COVID-19 epidemic in the Netherlands
AU - Slot, Ed
AU - Hogema, Boris M.
AU - Reusken, Chantal B. E. M.
AU - Reimerink, Johan H.
AU - Molier, Michel
AU - Karregat, Jan H. M.
AU - IJlst, Johan
AU - Novotný, V. ra M. J.
AU - van Lier, René A. W.
AU - Zaaijer, Hans L.
PY - 2020/12/1
Y1 - 2020/12/1
N2 - The world is combating an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic with health-care systems, society and economies impacted in an unprecedented way. It is unclear how many people have contracted the causative coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) unknowingly and are asymptomatic. Therefore, reported COVID-19 cases do not reflect the true scale of outbreak. Here we present the prevalence and distribution of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in a healthy adult population of the Netherlands, which is a highly affected country, using a high-performance immunoassay. Our results indicate that one month into the outbreak (i) the seroprevalence in the Netherlands was 2.7% with substantial regional variation, (ii) the hardest-hit areas showed a seroprevalence of up to 9.5%, (iii) the seroprevalence was sex-independent throughout age groups (18–72 years), and (iv) antibodies were significantly more often present in younger people (18–30 years). Our study provides vital information on the extent of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in a country where social distancing is in place.
AB - The world is combating an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic with health-care systems, society and economies impacted in an unprecedented way. It is unclear how many people have contracted the causative coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) unknowingly and are asymptomatic. Therefore, reported COVID-19 cases do not reflect the true scale of outbreak. Here we present the prevalence and distribution of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in a healthy adult population of the Netherlands, which is a highly affected country, using a high-performance immunoassay. Our results indicate that one month into the outbreak (i) the seroprevalence in the Netherlands was 2.7% with substantial regional variation, (ii) the hardest-hit areas showed a seroprevalence of up to 9.5%, (iii) the seroprevalence was sex-independent throughout age groups (18–72 years), and (iv) antibodies were significantly more often present in younger people (18–30 years). Our study provides vital information on the extent of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in a country where social distancing is in place.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85095957040&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-19481-7
DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-19481-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 33184284
SN - 2041-1723
VL - 11
JO - Nature communications
JF - Nature communications
IS - 1
M1 - 5744
ER -