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. 2022 Apr;28(4):878-880.
doi: 10.3201/eid2804.212476. Epub 2022 Feb 18.

Early Circulation of SARS-CoV-2, Congo, 2020

Novy Charel Bobouaka Bonguili, Matthieu Fritz, Leadisaelle Hosanna Lenguiya, Pembe Issamou Mayengue, Félix Koukouikila-Koussounda, Louis Régis Dossou-Yovo, Cynthia Nkoua Badzi, Eric M Leroy, Fabien R Niama

Early Circulation of SARS-CoV-2, Congo, 2020

Novy Charel Bobouaka Bonguili et al. Emerg Infect Dis. 2022 Apr.

Abstract

To determine when severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 arrived in Congo, we retrospectively antibody tested 937 blood samples collected during September 2019-February 2020. Seropositivity significantly increased from 1% in December 2019 to 5.3% in February 2020, before the first officially reported case in March 2020, suggesting unexpected early virus circulation.

Keywords: 2019 novel coronavirus disease; COVID-19; Central Africa; Luminex; Republic of Congo; SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus disease; microsphere immunoassay; respiratory infections; retrospective study; serology; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; viruses; zoonoses.

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Figures

Figure
Figure
Number of plasma samples tested each month for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus antibodies by using a microsphere immunoassay with beads coupled with receptor-binding domain antigen, Congo, September 2019–February 2020. Gray shading indicates the number of seronegative samples; orange, seropositive samples. Seropositivity is represented by black dots; error bars indicate 95% binomial CIs.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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