TY - JOUR
T1 - Slow Spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Southern Brazil Over a 6-Month Period
T2 - Report on 8 Sequential Statewide Serological Surveys Including 35 611 Participants
AU - Hallal, Pedro C.
AU - Silveira, Mariangela F.
AU - Menezes, Ana M.B.
AU - Horta, Bernardo L.
AU - Barros, Aluisio J.D.
AU - Pellanda, Lucia C.
AU - Victora, Gabriel D.
AU - Dellagostin, Odir A.
AU - Struchiner, Claudio J.
AU - Burattini, Marcelo N.
AU - Mesenburg, Marilia A.
AU - Jacques, Nadege
AU - Vidaletti, Luis Paulo
AU - Ambros, Emanuele L.
AU - Berlezi, Evelise M.
AU - Schirmer, Helena
AU - Renner, Jane D.P.
AU - Collares, Kaue
AU - Ikeda, Maria Leticia R.
AU - Ardenghi, Thiago M.
AU - De Gasperi, Patricia
AU - Hartwig, Fernando P.
AU - Barros, Fernando C.
AU - Victora, Cesar G.
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding for data collection was provided by Unimed Porto Alegre, Instituto Cultural Floresta, Instituto Serrapilheira, Banrisus, and Todos pela Saúde.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 American Public Health Association Inc.. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/8
Y1 - 2021/8
N2 - Objectives. To evaluate the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) over 6 months in the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul (population 11.3 million), based on 8 serological surveys. Methods. In each survey, 4151 participants in round 1 and 4460 participants in round 2 were randomly sampled from all state regions. We assessed presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 using a validated lateral flow point-of-care test; we adjusted figures for the time-dependent decay of antibodies. Results.The SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence increased from0.03%(95%confidence interval [CI]50.00%, 0.34%; 1 in every 3333 individuals) inmid-April to 1.89% (95% CI51.36%, 2.54%; 1 in every 53 individuals) in early September. Prevalence was similar across gender and skin color categories. Older adults were less likely to be infected than younger participants. The proportion of the population who reported leaving home daily increased from 21.4% (95% CI520.2%, 22.7%) to 33.2% (95% CI531.8%, 34.5%). Conclusions. SARS-CoV-2 infection increased slowly during the first 6 months in the state, differently fromwhat was observed in other Brazilian regions. Future survey rounds will continue to document the spread of the pandemic.
AB - Objectives. To evaluate the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) over 6 months in the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul (population 11.3 million), based on 8 serological surveys. Methods. In each survey, 4151 participants in round 1 and 4460 participants in round 2 were randomly sampled from all state regions. We assessed presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 using a validated lateral flow point-of-care test; we adjusted figures for the time-dependent decay of antibodies. Results.The SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence increased from0.03%(95%confidence interval [CI]50.00%, 0.34%; 1 in every 3333 individuals) inmid-April to 1.89% (95% CI51.36%, 2.54%; 1 in every 53 individuals) in early September. Prevalence was similar across gender and skin color categories. Older adults were less likely to be infected than younger participants. The proportion of the population who reported leaving home daily increased from 21.4% (95% CI520.2%, 22.7%) to 33.2% (95% CI531.8%, 34.5%). Conclusions. SARS-CoV-2 infection increased slowly during the first 6 months in the state, differently fromwhat was observed in other Brazilian regions. Future survey rounds will continue to document the spread of the pandemic.
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U2 - 10.2105/AJPH.2021.306351
DO - 10.2105/AJPH.2021.306351
M3 - Article
C2 - 34185552
AN - SCOPUS:85106071942
SN - 0090-0036
VL - 111
SP - 1542
EP - 1550
JO - American journal of public health
JF - American journal of public health
IS - 8
ER -