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1.
Swiss Med Wkly ; 151: w30079, 2021 11 22.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2258752

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the public perception of COVID-19 vaccination certificates as well as potential differences between individuals. METHODS: Between 17 March and 1 April 2021, a self-administered online questionnaire was proposed to all persons aged 18 years and older participating in the longitudinal follow-up of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence studies in Geneva, Switzerland. The questionnaire covered aspects of individual and collective benefits, and allowed participants to select contexts in which vaccination certificates should be presented. Results were presented as the proportion of persons agreeing or disagreeing with the implementation of vaccination certificates, selecting specific contexts where certificates should be presented, and agreeing or disagreeing with the potential risks related to certificates. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios for factors associated with certificate non-acceptance. RESULTS: Overall, 4067 individuals completed the questionnaire (response rate 77.4%; mean age 53.3 ± standard deviation 14.4 years; 56.1% were women). About 61.0% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that a vaccination certificate was necessary in certain contexts and 21.6% believed there was no context where vaccination certificates should be presented. Contexts where a majority of participants perceived a vaccination certificate should be presented included jobs where others would be at risk of COVID-related complications (60.7%), jobs where employees would be at risk of getting infected (58.7%), or to be exempt from quarantine when travelling abroad (56.0%). Contexts where fewer individuals perceived the need for vaccination certificates to be presented were participation in large gatherings (36.9%), access to social venues (35.5%), or sharing the same workspace (21.5%). Younger age, no intent for vaccination, and not believing vaccination to be an important step in surmounting the pandemic were factors associated with certificate non-acceptance. CONCLUSION: This large population-based study showed that the general adult population in Geneva, Switzerland, agreed with the implementation of vaccination certificates in work-related and travel-related contexts. However, this solution was perceived as unnecessary for access to large gatherings or social venues, or to share the same workspace. Differences were seen with age, sex, education, socioeconomic status, and vaccination willingness and perception, highlighting the importance of taking personal and sociodemographic variation into consideration when predicting acceptance of such certificates.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Travel , Adult , COVID-19 Vaccines , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , SARS-CoV-2 , Seroepidemiologic Studies , Switzerland , Travel-Related Illness , Vaccination
2.
Swiss Med Wkly ; 151: w30080, 2021 12 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2250198

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination as well as its sociodemographic and clinical determinants, 3 months after the launch of the vaccination programme in Geneva, Switzerland. METHODS: In March 2021, an online questionnaire was proposed to adults included in a longitudinal cohort study of previous SARS-CoV-2 serosurveys carried out in the canton of Geneva, which included former participants of a population-based health survey as well as individuals randomly sampled from population registries, and their household members. Questions were asked about COVID-19 vaccination acceptance, reasons for acceptance or refusal and attitudes to vaccination in general. Data on demographic (age, sex, education, income, professional status, living conditions) and health-related characteristics (having a chronic disease, COVID-19 diagnosis, smoking status) were assessed at inclusion in the cohort (December 2020). The overall vaccination acceptance was standardised according to the age, sex, and education distribution in the Geneva population. RESULTS: Overall, 4067 participants (completion rate of 77.4%) responded to the survey between 17 March and 1 April 2021. The mean age of respondents was 53.3 years and 56.0% were women. At the time of the survey, 17.2% of respondents had already been vaccinated with at least one dose or had made an appointment to get vaccinated, and an additional 58.5% intended or rather intended to get vaccinated. The overall acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination standardised to the age, sex and education distribution of the population of Geneva was 71.8%, with a higher acceptance among men than women, older adults compared with younger adults, high-income individuals compared with those with a low income, and participants living in urban and semi-urban areas compared with rural areas. Acceptance was lower among individuals having completed apprenticeships and secondary education than those with tertiary education. The most common reasons reported by participants intending to get vaccinated were the desire to "get back to normal", to protect themselves, their community and/or society,and their relatives or friends against the risk of infection by SARS-CoV-2, as well as the desire to travel. Less than half (45.6%) of participants having children were willing or rather willing to have their children vaccinated against COVID-19 if it were recommended by public health authorities. CONCLUSION: Although our study found a 71.8% weighted acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination, there were noticeable sociodemographic disparities in vaccination acceptance. These data will be useful for public health measures targeting hesitant populations when developing health communication strategies.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 Vaccines , COVID-19 , Aged , COVID-19 Testing , Child , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Longitudinal Studies , Middle Aged , SARS-CoV-2 , Vaccination
3.
Swiss Med Wkly ; 153(4): 40049, 2023 04 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2251559

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine factors associated with parental willingness to vaccinate their children against COVID-19. METHODS: We surveyed adults included in a digital longitudinal cohort study composed of participants in previous SARS-CoV-2 serosurveys conducted in Geneva, Switzerland. In February 2022, an online questionnaire collected information on COVID-19 vaccination acceptance, parental willingness to vaccinate their children aged ≥5 years and reasons for vaccination preference. We used multivariable logistic regression to assess the demographic, socioeconomic and health-related factors associated with being vaccinated and with parental intention to vaccinate their children. RESULTS: We included 1,383 participants (56.8% women; 69.3% aged 35-49 years). Parental willingness to vaccinate their children increased markedly with the child's age: 84.0%, 60.9% and 21.2%, respectively, for parents of adolescents aged 16-17 years, 12-15 years and 5-12 years. For all child age groups, unvaccinated parents more frequently indicated not intending to vaccinate their children than vaccinated parents. Refusal to vaccine children was associated with having a secondary education (1.73; 1.18-2.47) relative to a tertiary education and with middle (1.75; 1.18-2.60) and low (1.96; 1.20-3.22) household income relative to high income. Refusal to vaccine their children was also associated with only having children aged 12-15 years (3.08; 1.61-5.91), aged 5-11 years (19.77; 10.27-38.05), or in multiple age groups (6.05; 3.22-11.37), relative to only having children aged 16-17 years. CONCLUSION: Willingness to vaccinate children was high for parents of adolescents aged 16-17 years but decreased significantly with decreasing child age. Unvaccinated, socioeconomically disadvantaged parents and those with younger children were less likely to be willing to vaccinate their children. These results are important for vaccination programs and developing communication strategies to reach vaccine-hesitant groups, both in the context of COVID-19 and in the prevention of other diseases and future pandemics.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Adolescent , Adult , Humans , Child , Female , Aged, 80 and over , Male , COVID-19/prevention & control , Switzerland , SARS-CoV-2 , COVID-19 Vaccines , Cross-Sectional Studies , Longitudinal Studies , Parents , Vaccination
4.
Lancet Reg Health Eur ; : 100547, 2022 Dec 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2246651

ABSTRACT

Background: More than two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the population has developed anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies from infection and/or vaccination. However, public health decision-making is hindered by the lack of up-to-date and precise characterization of the immune landscape in the population. Here, we estimated anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies seroprevalence and cross-variant neutralization capacity after Omicron became dominant in Geneva, Switzerland. Methods: We conducted a population-based serosurvey between April 29 and June 9, 2022, recruiting children and adults of all ages from age-stratified random samples of the general population of Geneva, Switzerland. We tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using commercial immunoassays targeting either the spike (S) or nucleocapsid (N) protein, and for antibody neutralization capacity against different SARS-CoV-2 variants using a cell-free Spike trimer-ACE2 binding-based surrogate neutralization assay. We estimated seroprevalence and neutralization capacity using a Bayesian modeling framework accounting for the demographics, vaccination, and infection statuses of the Geneva population. Findings: Among the 2521 individuals included in the analysis, the estimated total antibodies seroprevalence was 93.8% (95% CrI 93.1-94.5), including 72.4% (70.0-74.7) for infection-induced antibodies. Estimates of neutralizing antibodies in a representative subsample (N = 1160) ranged from 79.5% (77.1-81.8) against the Alpha variant to 46.7% (43.0-50.4) against the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 subvariants. Despite having high seroprevalence of infection-induced antibodies (76.7% [69.7-83.0] for ages 0-5 years, 90.5% [86.5-94.1] for ages 6-11 years), children aged <12 years had substantially lower neutralizing activity than older participants, particularly against Omicron subvariants. Overall, vaccination was associated with higher neutralizing activity against pre-Omicron variants. Vaccine booster alongside recent infection was associated with higher neutralizing activity against Omicron subvariants. Interpretation: While most of the Geneva population has developed anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies through vaccination and/or infection, less than half has neutralizing activity against the currently circulating Omicron BA.5 subvariant. Hybrid immunity obtained through booster vaccination and infection confers the greatest neutralization capacity, including against Omicron. Funding: General Directorate of Health in Geneva canton, Private Foundation of the Geneva University Hospitals, European Commission ("CoVICIS" grant), and a private foundation advised by CARIGEST SA.

5.
Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health ; 17(1): 17, 2023 Feb 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2224190

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The medium-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the wellbeing of children and adolescents remains unclear. More than 2 years into the pandemic, we aimed to quantify the frequency and determinants of having been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and estimate its impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and mental health. METHODS: Data was drawn from a population-based cohort of children and adolescents, recruited between December 2021 and June 2022, in Geneva, Switzerland. The Coronavirus impact scale was used to assess the multidimensional impact of the pandemic on children through parent's report. A score higher than one standard deviation above the mean was deemed a severe impact. Parents additionally reported about their offspring HRQoL and mental health with validated scales. Determinants of having been severely impacted were assessed with logistic models, as were the associations between having experienced a severe impact and poor HRQoL or mental health. RESULTS: Out of 2101 participants aged 2-17, 12.7% had experienced a severe pandemic impact. Having a lasting health condition, a pandemic-related worsening of lifestyle habits or an unfavorable family environment were associated with having been severely impacted by the pandemic, while a previous anti-SARS-CoV-2 infection was not. Participants who had experienced a severe pandemic impact were more likely to present poor HRQoL (aOR = 3.1; 95% CI 2.3-4.4) and poor mental health (aOR = 3.9; 95% CI 2.5-6.2). CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic may have persistent consequences on the wellbeing of children and adolescents, especially among those with health and family vulnerabilities.

6.
J Psychiatr Res ; 158: 192-201, 2023 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2165627

ABSTRACT

There are concerns about acute and long-term mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined the prevalence and predictors of psychological distress before, during, and after a pandemic wave in Switzerland, 2021. Prevalence of psychological distress was estimated in adults aged 35-96 years using the General Health Questionnaire-12 administered in June 2021 (Specchio-COVID19 cohort, N = 3965), and compared to values from 2003 to 2006 (CoLaus|PsyCoLaus cohort, N = 5667). Anxiety and depression were assessed from February to June 2021 using the Generalised Anxiety Disorder scale-2 and the Patient Health Questionnaire-2, respectively. Prevalence of psychological distress in June 2021, after the pandemic wave (16.0% [95% CI, 14.6%-17.4%]) was comparable to pre-pandemic levels (15.1% [14.0%-16.2%]). Anxiety and depression were highest at the start of the pandemic wave in February 2021, and declined from February to June with the relaxation of measures. Predictors of psychological distress included being younger, female, a single parent, unemployed, a change in working hours or job loss in the past 6 months, greater perceived severity and contagiousness of COVID-19, and self-reported post COVID-19. By June 2021, following a pandemic wave, prevalence of psychological distress in Switzerland was closer to pre-pandemic levels. These findings highlight the need for additional mental health support during times of stricter government policies relating to COVID-19; yet they also suggest that individuals can adapt relatively quickly to the changing context.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Psychological Distress , Adult , Female , Humans , COVID-19/epidemiology , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2 , Prevalence , Switzerland/epidemiology , Depression/epidemiology , Anxiety/epidemiology
7.
BMJ Open ; 12(11): e063504, 2022 11 21.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2137752

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of children and adolescents reporting persistent symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection. DESIGN: A random sample of children and adolescents participated with their family members to a serological survey including a blood drawing for detecting antibodies targeting the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein and a questionnaire on COVID-19-related symptoms experienced since the beginning of the pandemic. SETTING: The study took place in the canton of Geneva, Switzerland, between June and July 2021. PARTICIPANT: 660 children aged between 2 and 17 years old. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME: The primary outcome was the persistence of symptoms beyond 4 weeks comparing seropositive and seronegative participants. The type of declared symptoms were also studied as well as associated risk factors. RESULTS: Among seropositive children, the sex-adjusted and age-adjusted prevalence of symptoms lasting longer than 2 weeks was 18.3%, compared with 11.1% among seronegatives (adjusted prevalence difference (ΔaPrev)=7.2%, 95% CI: 1.5% to 13.0%). Among adolescents aged 12-17 years, we estimated the prevalence of experiencing symptoms lasting over 4 weeks to be 4.4% (ΔaPrev,95% CI: -3.8% to 13.6%), whereas no seropositive child aged 2-11 reported symptoms of this duration. The most frequently declared symptoms were fatigue, headache and loss of smell. CONCLUSIONS: We estimated the prevalence of experiencing persistent symptoms lasting over 4 weeks to be around 4% among adolescents, which represents a large absolute number, and should raise awareness and concern. We did not observe meaningful differences of persistent symptoms between seropositive and seronegative younger children, suggesting that they may be less affected than their older counterparts.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Adolescent , Child , Humans , Child, Preschool , COVID-19/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , SARS-CoV-2 , Pandemics , Research Design
8.
Nat Commun ; 13(1): 7086, 2022 Nov 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2133428

ABSTRACT

Post-COVID syndrome remains poorly studied in children and adolescents. Here, we aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of pediatric post-COVID in a population-based sample, stratifying by serological status. Children from the SEROCoV-KIDS cohort study (State of Geneva, Switzerland), aged 6 months to 17 years, were tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 N antibodies (December 2021-February 2022) and parents filled in a questionnaire on persistent symptoms in their children (lasting over 12 weeks) compatible with post-COVID. Of 1034 children tested, 570 (55.1%) were seropositive. The sex- and age-adjusted prevalence of persistent symptoms among seropositive children was 9.1% (95%CI: 6.7;11.8) and 5.0% (95%CI: 3.0;7.1) among seronegatives, with an adjusted prevalence difference (ΔaPrev) of 4.1% (95%CI: 1.1;7.3). Stratifying per age group, only adolescents displayed a substantial risk of having post-COVID symptoms (ΔaPrev = 8.3%, 95%CI: 3.5;13.5). Identified risk factors for post-COVID syndrome were older age, having a lower socioeconomic status and suffering from chronic health conditions, especially asthma. Our findings show that a significant proportion of seropositive children, particularly adolescents, experienced persistent COVID symptoms. While there is a need for further investigations, growing evidence of pediatric post-COVID urges early screening and primary care management.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Humans , Adolescent , Child , Prevalence , Cohort Studies , COVID-19/epidemiology , Syndrome , Risk Factors , Antibodies, Viral
9.
Front Public Health ; 10: 874252, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2065639

ABSTRACT

Background: SARS-CoV-2 infection and its health consequences have disproportionally affected disadvantaged socio-economic groups globally. This study aimed to analyze the association between socio-economic conditions and having developed antibodies for-SARS-CoV-2 in a population-based sample in the canton of Geneva, Switzerland. Methods: Data was obtained from a population-based serosurvey of adults in Geneva and their household members, between November and December, 2020, toward the end of the second pandemic wave in the canton. Participants were tested for antibodies for-SARS-CoV-2. Socio-economic conditions representing different dimensions were self-reported. Mixed effects logistic regressions were conducted for each predictor to test its association with seropositive status as the main outcome. Results: Two thousand eight hundred and eighty-nine adults completed the study questionnaire and were included in the final analysis. Retired participants and those living in suburban areas had lower odds of a seropositive result when compared to employed participants (OR: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.20-0.87) and those living in urban areas (OR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.46-0.97), respectively. People facing financial hardship for less than a year had higher odds of a seropositive result compared to those who had never faced them (OR: 2.23, 95% CI: 1.01-4.95). Educational level, occupational position, and household income were not associated with being seropositive, nor were ethnicity or country of birth. Discussion: While conventional measures of socio-economic position did not seem to be related to the risk of being infected in this sample, this study sheds lights on the importance of examining the broader social determinants of health when evaluating the differential impact of the pandemic within the population.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Adult , COVID-19/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Humans , SARS-CoV-2 , Socioeconomic Factors , Switzerland/epidemiology
10.
PLoS One ; 17(8): e0272663, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1993491

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To report a prospective epidemiological, virological and serological investigation of a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in a primary school. METHODS: As part of a longitudinal, prospective, school-based surveillance study, this investigation involved repeated testing of 73 pupils, 9 teachers, 13 non-teaching staff and 26 household members of participants who tested positive, with rapid antigen tests and/or RT-PCR (Day 0-2 and Day 5-7), serologies on dried capillary blood samples (Day 0-2 and Day 30), contact tracing interviews and SARS-CoV-2 whole genome sequencing. RESULTS: We identified 20 children (aged 4 to 6 years from 4 school classes), 2 teachers and a total of 4 household members who were infected by the Alpha variant during this outbreak. Infection attack rates were between 11.8 and 62.0% among pupils from the 4 school classes, 22.2% among teachers and 0% among non-teaching staff. Secondary attack rate among household members was 15.4%. Symptoms were reported by 63% of infected children, 100% of teachers and 50% of household members. All analysed sequences but one showed 100% identity. Serological tests detected 8 seroconversions unidentified by SARS-CoV-2 virological tests. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed child-to-child and child-to-adult SARS-CoV-2 transmission and introduction into households. Effective measures to limit transmission in schools have the potential to reduce the overall community circulation.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Adult , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/transmission , COVID-19/virology , Child , Disease Outbreaks , Humans , Longitudinal Studies , Prospective Studies , SARS-CoV-2/genetics , Schools
11.
Epidemics ; 39: 100572, 2022 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1821233

ABSTRACT

Serosurveys are an important tool to estimate the true extent of the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. So far, most serosurvey data have been analyzed with cutoff-based methods, which dichotomize individual measurements into sero-positives or negatives based on a predefined cutoff. However, mixture model methods can gain additional information from the same serosurvey data. Such methods refrain from dichotomizing individual values and instead use the full distribution of the serological measurements from pre-pandemic and COVID-19 controls to estimate the cumulative incidence. This study presents an application of mixture model methods to SARS-CoV-2 serosurvey data from the SEROCoV-POP study from April and May 2020 in Geneva (2766 individuals). Besides estimating the total cumulative incidence in these data (8.1% (95% CI: 6.8%-9.9%)), we applied extended mixture model methods to estimate an indirect indicator of disease severity, which is the fraction of cases with a distribution of antibody levels similar to hospitalized COVID-19 patients. This fraction is 51.2% (95% CI: 15.2%-79.5%) across the full serosurvey, but differs between three age classes: 21.4% (95% CI: 0%-59.6%) for individuals between 5 and 40 years old, 60.2% (95% CI: 21.5%-100%) for individuals between 41 and 65 years old and 100% (95% CI: 20.1%-100%) for individuals between 66 and 90 years old. Additionally, we find a mismatch between the inferred negative distribution of the serosurvey and the validation data of pre-pandemic controls. Overall, this study illustrates that mixture model methods can provide additional insights from serosurvey data.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Adult , COVID-19/epidemiology , Humans , Pandemics , Seroepidemiologic Studies , Young Adult
12.
International journal of public health ; 67, 2022.
Article in English | EuropePMC | ID: covidwho-1738431

ABSTRACT

Objectives: To describe the rationale, organization, and procedures of the Corona Immunitas Digital Follow-Up (CI-DFU) eCohort and to characterize participants at baseline. Methods: Participants of Corona Immunitas, a population-based nationwide SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence study in Switzerland, were invited to join the CI-DFU eCohort in 11 study centres. Weekly online questonnaires cover health status changes, prevention measures adherence, and social impacts. Monthly questionnaires cover additional prevention adherence, contact tracing apps use, vaccination and vaccine hesitancy, and socio-economic changes. Results: We report data from the 5 centres that enrolled in the CI-DFU between June and October 2020 (covering Basel City/Land, Fribourg, Neuchâtel, Ticino, Zurich). As of February 2021, 4636 participants were enrolled and 85,693 weekly and 27,817 monthly questionnaires were collected. Design-based oversampling led to overrepresentation of individuals aged 65+ years. People with higher education and income were more likely to enroll and be retained. Conclusion: Broad enrolment and robust retention of participants enables scientifically sound monitoring of pandemic impacts, prevention, and vaccination progress. The CI-DFU eCohort demonstrates proof-of-principle for large-scale, federated eCohort study designs based on jointly agreed principles and transparent governance.

13.
Scand J Public Health ; 50(1): 124-135, 2022 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1724282

ABSTRACT

Aims: To assess SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence over the first epidemic wave in the canton of Geneva, Switzerland, as well as risk factors for infection and symptoms associated with IgG seropositivity. Methods: Between April and June 2020, former participants of a representative survey of the 20-74-year-old population of canton Geneva were invited to participate in the study, along with household members aged over 5 years. Blood samples were tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G. Questionnaires were self-administered. We estimated seroprevalence with a Bayesian model accounting for test performance and sampling design. Results: We included 8344 participants, with an overall adjusted seroprevalence of 7.8% (95% credible interval 6.8-8.9). Seroprevalence was highest among 18-49 year-olds (9.5%), and lowest in 5-9-year-old children (4.3%) and individuals >65 years (4.7-5.4%). Odds of seropositivity were significantly reduced for female retirees and unemployed men compared to employed individuals, and smokers compared to non-smokers. We found no significant association between occupation, level of education, neighborhood income and the risk of being seropositive. The symptom most strongly associated with seropositivity was anosmia/dysgeusia. Conclusions: Anti-SARS-CoV-2 population seroprevalence remained low after the first wave in Geneva. Socioeconomic factors were not associated with seropositivity in this sample. The elderly, young children and smokers were less frequently seropositive, although it is not clear how biology and behaviours shape these differences.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Adult , Aged , Bayes Theorem , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Immunoglobulin G , Male , Middle Aged , Risk Factors , Seroepidemiologic Studies , Switzerland/epidemiology , Young Adult
14.
Euro Surveill ; 26(43)2021 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1528793

ABSTRACT

BackgroundUp-to-date seroprevalence estimates are critical to describe the SARS-CoV-2 immune landscape and to guide public health decisions.AimWe estimate seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies 15 months into the COVID-19 pandemic and 6 months into the vaccination campaign.MethodsWe conducted a population-based cross-sectional serosurvey between 1 June and 7 July 2021, recruiting participants from age- and sex-stratified random samples of the general population. We tested participants for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies targeting the spike (S) or nucleocapsid (N) proteins using the Roche Elecsys immunoassays. We estimated the anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies seroprevalence following vaccination and/or infection (anti-S antibodies), or infection only (anti-N antibodies).ResultsAmong 3,355 individuals (54.1% women; 20.8% aged < 18 years and 13.4% aged ≥ 65 years), 2,161 (64.4%) had anti-S antibodies and 906 (27.0%) had anti-N antibodies. The total seroprevalence was 66.1% (95% credible interval (CrI): 64.1-68.0). We estimated that 29.9% (95% Crl: 28.0-31.9) of the population developed antibodies after infection; the rest having developed antibodies via vaccination. Seroprevalence estimates differed markedly across age groups, being lowest among children aged 0-5 years (20.8%; 95% Crl: 15.5-26.7) and highest among older adults aged ≥ 75 years (93.1%; 95% Crl: 89.6-96.0). Seroprevalence of antibodies developed via infection and/or vaccination was higher among participants with higher educational level.ConclusionMost of the population has developed anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, despite most teenagers and children remaining vulnerable to infection. As the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant spreads and vaccination rates stagnate, efforts are needed to address vaccine hesitancy, particularly among younger individuals and to minimise spread among children.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Adolescent , Aged , Antibodies, Viral , Child , Child, Preschool , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Immunization Programs , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Pandemics , Seroepidemiologic Studies , Switzerland
15.
Nat Commun ; 12(1): 3455, 2021 06 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1262002

ABSTRACT

Limited data exist on SARS-CoV-2 infection rates across sectors and occupations, hindering our ability to make rational policy, including vaccination prioritization, to protect workers and limit SARS-CoV-2 spread. Here, we present results from our SEROCoV-WORK + study, a serosurvey of workers recruited after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Geneva, Switzerland. We tested workers (May 18-September 18, 2020) from 16 sectors and 32 occupations for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies. Of 10,513 participants, 1026 (9.8%) tested positive. The seropositivity rate ranged from 4.2% in the media sector to 14.3% in the nursing home sector. We found considerable within-sector variability: nursing home (0%-31.4%), homecare (3.9%-12.6%), healthcare (0%-23.5%), public administration (2.6%-24.6%), and public security (0%-16.7%). Seropositivity rates also varied across occupations, from 15.0% among kitchen staff and 14.4% among nurses, to 5.4% among domestic care workers and 2.8% among journalists. Our findings show that seropositivity rates varied widely across sectors, between facilities within sectors, and across occupations, reflecting a higher exposure in certain sectors and occupations.


Subject(s)
Antibodies, Viral/immunology , SARS-CoV-2/immunology , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/immunology , Female , Humans , Immunoglobulin G/immunology , Male , Middle Aged , Prevalence , Sample Size , Switzerland/epidemiology , Young Adult
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