tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Emerg Infect Dis
. 2021 May;27(5):1343-1352.
doi: 10.3201/eid2705.204365.
Herd Immunity against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection in 10 Communities, Qatar
Andrew Jeremijenko, Hiam Chemaitelly, Houssein H Ayoub, Moza Alishaq, Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra, Jameela Ali A A Al Ajmi, Nasser Ali Asad Al Ansari, Zaina Al Kanaani, Abdullatif Al Khal, Einas Al Kuwari, Ahmed Al-Mohammed, Naema Hassan Abdulla Al Molawi, Huda Mohamad Al Naomi, Adeel A Butt, Peter Coyle, Reham Awni El Kahlout, Imtiaz Gillani, Anvar Hassan Kaleeckal, Naseer Ahmad Masoodi, Anil George Thomas, Hanaa Nafady-Hego, Ali Nizar Latif, Riyazuddin Mohammad Shaik, Nourah B M Younes, Hanan F Abdul Rahim, Hadi M Yassine, Mohamed G Al Kuwari, Hamad Eid Al Romaihi, Mohamed H Al-Thani, Roberto Bertollini, Laith J Abu-Raddad
Abstract
We investigated what proportion of the population acquired severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and whether the herd immunity threshold has been reached in 10 communities in Qatar. The study included 4,970 participants during June 21-September 9, 2020. Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were detected by using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Seropositivity ranged from 54.9% (95% CI 50.2%-59.4%) to 83.8% (95% CI 79.1%-87.7%) across communities and showed a pooled mean of 66.1% (95% CI 61.5%-70.6%). A range of other epidemiologic measures indicated that active infection is rare, with limited if any sustainable infection transmission for clusters to occur. Only 5 infections were ever severe and 1 was critical in these young communities; infection severity rate of 0.2% (95% CI 0.1%-0.4%). Specific communities in Qatar have or nearly reached herd immunity for SARS-CoV-2 infection: 65%-70% of the population has been infected.
Keywords: CMWs; COVID-19; Qatar; SARS-CoV-2; communities; coronavirus; coronavirus disease; craft and manual workers; epidemiology; herd immunity; immunity; infection; respiratory infections; seroprevalence; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; viruses; zoonoses.
. 2021 May;27(5):1343-1352.
doi: 10.3201/eid2705.204365.
Herd Immunity against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection in 10 Communities, Qatar
Andrew Jeremijenko, Hiam Chemaitelly, Houssein H Ayoub, Moza Alishaq, Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra, Jameela Ali A A Al Ajmi, Nasser Ali Asad Al Ansari, Zaina Al Kanaani, Abdullatif Al Khal, Einas Al Kuwari, Ahmed Al-Mohammed, Naema Hassan Abdulla Al Molawi, Huda Mohamad Al Naomi, Adeel A Butt, Peter Coyle, Reham Awni El Kahlout, Imtiaz Gillani, Anvar Hassan Kaleeckal, Naseer Ahmad Masoodi, Anil George Thomas, Hanaa Nafady-Hego, Ali Nizar Latif, Riyazuddin Mohammad Shaik, Nourah B M Younes, Hanan F Abdul Rahim, Hadi M Yassine, Mohamed G Al Kuwari, Hamad Eid Al Romaihi, Mohamed H Al-Thani, Roberto Bertollini, Laith J Abu-Raddad
- PMID: 33900174
- DOI: 10.3201/eid2705.204365
Abstract
We investigated what proportion of the population acquired severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and whether the herd immunity threshold has been reached in 10 communities in Qatar. The study included 4,970 participants during June 21-September 9, 2020. Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were detected by using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Seropositivity ranged from 54.9% (95% CI 50.2%-59.4%) to 83.8% (95% CI 79.1%-87.7%) across communities and showed a pooled mean of 66.1% (95% CI 61.5%-70.6%). A range of other epidemiologic measures indicated that active infection is rare, with limited if any sustainable infection transmission for clusters to occur. Only 5 infections were ever severe and 1 was critical in these young communities; infection severity rate of 0.2% (95% CI 0.1%-0.4%). Specific communities in Qatar have or nearly reached herd immunity for SARS-CoV-2 infection: 65%-70% of the population has been infected.
Keywords: CMWs; COVID-19; Qatar; SARS-CoV-2; communities; coronavirus; coronavirus disease; craft and manual workers; epidemiology; herd immunity; immunity; infection; respiratory infections; seroprevalence; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; viruses; zoonoses.