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. 2023 Feb 18;20(4):3665.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph20043665.

Seroprevalence of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies Following the Omicron BA.1 Wave

Maja Socan  1 , Katarina Prosenc  2 , Maja Mrzel  1
Affiliations

Seroprevalence of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies Following the Omicron BA.1 Wave

Maja Socan et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

We conducted a seroprevalence study using convenient residual sera samples from the Slovenian population collected after the end of the Omicron BA.1 pandemic wave. Serum samples were tested for spike glycoprotein (anti-S) and nucleocapsid protein (anti-N) antibodies. Participants' data regarding confirmed infection and vaccination was obtained from national registries. Anti-S antibodies were detected in 2439 (84.1%) of 2899 sera from persons aged 0-90 years, with the lowest prevalence in the 0-17 age group. The proportion of anti-N positives was the lowest in the ≥70 age group. The proportion of anti-N positives was significantly higher among participants with confirmed past infection and among those who had never been vaccinated. In participants who had not been notified as infected and who had never been vaccinated, the seroprevalence of anti-S and anti-N antibodies was 53% and 35.5%, respectively. From the time of serum collection to mid-November 2022, 445 participants (15.3%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, with higher odds in seronegative participants, participants in the 40-59 age group, and those without notified previous infection. Vaccination status and gender had no significant effects on infection risk. This study underlines the importance of serosurveys in understanding the development of the pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; Omicron BA.1; anti-nucleocapsid protein antibodies; anti-spike glycoprotein antibodies; seroprevalence.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
SARS-CoV-2 infection incidence rate (per 100,000) and variant predominance in Slovenia from the first detected case (4 March 2020) to 14 November 2022.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Anti-S and anti-N antibody persistence in study participants who were notified as infected with SARS-CoV-2 but had never been vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Anti-S and anti-N antibody persistence in study participants who had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine but without a notified SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Anti-S and anti-N antibody persistence in study participants who were notified as infected with SARS-CoV-2 and had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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