Strengthening serological studies: the need for greater geographical diversity, biobanking, and data-accessibility

Abstract

Serological studies uniquely strengthen infectious disease surveillance, expanding prevalence estimates to encompass asymptomatic infections, and revealing the otherwise inapparent landscape of immunity, including who is and is not susceptible to infection. They are thus a powerful complement to often incomplete epidemiological and public health measures (administrative measures of vaccination coverage, incidence estimates, etc.). The recent surge in the deployment of serological surveys globally (in part due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic), alongside the development of new assays and new inference methods, means that the time is ripe to interrogate areas to strengthen future serosurveillance efforts. We identify three themes warranting attention: first, expanding the geographical diversity of these studies; second, investing globally in infrastructure for storage of blood samples (biobanking), opening the way to future analyses; and third, establishing protocols to increase data accessibility and to facilitate data usage for current and future studies. We conclude that strengthening serological studies is necessary and achievable through thoughtful sampling design, wide-scale sample storage, and thorough reporting practices.

Keywords: public health; serological study; serosurveillance; serosurvey.