Trend in Sensitivity of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Serology One Year After Mild and Asymptomatic Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Unpacking Potential Bias in Seroprevalence Studies
Christopher R. Bailie, Yeu Yang Tseng, Louise Carolan, Martyn Kirk, Suellen Nicholson, Annette Fox, Sheena G. Sullivan
Abstract
A key aim of serosurveillance during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been to estimate the prevalence of prior infection, by correcting crude seroprevalence against estimated test performance for polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-confirmed COVID-19. We show that poor generalizability of sensitivity estimates to some target populations may lead to substantial underestimation of case numbers.
Topics & Concepts
SeroprevalenceMedicineVirologyAsymptomaticCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)CoronavirusSerologyPandemicSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirusImmunologyDiseaseInfectious disease (medical specialty)Internal medicineAntibodySARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 ResearchCOVID-19 epidemiological studiesSARS-CoV-2 detection and testing