| Title: |
Global SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence from January 2020 to April 2022: a systematic review and meta-analysis of standardized population-based studies |
| Authors: |
Bergeri, I; Whelan, MG; Ware, H; Subissi, L; Nardone, A; Lewis, HC; Li, Z; Ma, X; Valenciano, M; Cheng, B; Al Ariqi, L; Rashidian, A; Okeibunor, J; Azim, T; Wijesinghe, P; Le, L-V; Vaughan, A; Pebody, R; Vicari, A; Yan, T; Yanes-Lane, M; Cao, C; Clifton, DA; Cheng, MP; Papenburg, J; Buckeridge, D; Bobrovitz, N; Arora, RK; Van Kerkhove, MD |
| Contributors: |
Group, Unity Studies Collaborator |
| Publisher Information: |
Public Library of Science |
| Publication Year: |
2023 |
| Collection: |
Oxford University Research Archive (ORA) |
| Subject Terms: |
Metaanalysis; SARS CoV 2; Medical risk factors; Virus testing; COVID 19; Vaccination and immunization; Respiratory infections; Low and middle income countries |
| Description: |
Background Our understanding of the global scale of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection remains incomplete: Routine surveillance data underestimate infection and cannot infer on population immunity; there is a predominance of asymptomatic infections, and uneven access to diagnostics. We meta-analyzed SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence studies, standardized to those described in the World Health Organization’s Unity protocol (WHO Unity) for general population seroepidemiological studies, to estimate the extent of population infection and seropositivity to the virus 2 years into the pandemic. Methods and findings We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis, searching MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, preprints, and grey literature for SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence published between January 1, 2020 and May 20, 2022. The review protocol is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020183634). We included general population cross-sectional and cohort studies meeting an assay quality threshold (90% sensitivity, 97% specificity; exceptions for humanitarian settings). We excluded studies with an unclear or closed population sample frame. Eligible studies—those aligned with the WHO Unity protocol—were extracted and critically appraised in duplicate, with risk of bias evaluated using a modified Joanna Briggs Institute checklist. We meta-analyzed seroprevalence by country and month, pooling to estimate regional and global seroprevalence over time; compared seroprevalence from infection to confirmed cases to estimate underascertainment; meta-analyzed differences in seroprevalence between demographic subgroups such as age and sex; and identified national factors associated with seroprevalence using meta-regression. We identified 513 full texts reporting 965 distinct seroprevalence studies (41% low- and middle-income countries [LMICs]) sampling 5,346,069 participants between January 2020 and April 2022, including 459 low/moderate risk of bias studies with national/subnational scope in further analysis. By ... |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| Language: |
English |
| Relation: |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004107 |
| DOI: |
10.1371/journal.pmed.1004107 |
| Availability: |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004107; https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:7870a762-3627-4d42-ab66-6c6524d2f994 |
| Rights: |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess ; CC Attribution (CC BY) |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.C6BF501 |
| Database: |
BASE |