Accurate detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies provides a more accurate estimation of incident cases, epidemic dynamics, and risk of community transmission. We conducted a cross-sectional seroprevalence study specifically targeting different populations to examine the performance of pandemic control in Taiwan: symptomatic patients with epidemiological risk and negative qRT-PCR test (Group P), frontline healthcare workers (Group H), healthy adult citizens (Group C), and participants with prior virologically-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) infection in 2003 (Group S). The presence of anti−SARS−CoV−2 total and IgG antibodies in all participants were determined by Roche Elecsys ® Anti−SARS−CoV−2 test and Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay, respectively. Sera that showed positive results by the two chemiluminescent immunoassays were further tested by three anti-SARS-CoV-2 lateral flow immunoassays and line immunoassay (MIKROGEN recom Line SARS-CoV-2 IgG). Between June 29 and July 25, 2020, sera of 2,115 participates, including 499 Group P participants, 464 Group H participants, 1,142 Group C participants, and 10 Group S participants, were tested. After excluding six false-positive samples, SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence were 0.4, 0, and 0% in Groups P, H, and C, respectively. Cross-reactivity with SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was observed in 80.0% of recovered SARS participants. Our study showed that rigorous exclusion of false-positive testing results is imperative for an accurate estimate of seroprevalence in countries with previous SARS outbreak and low COVID-19 prevalence. The overall SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was extremely low among populations of different exposure risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 in Taiwan, supporting the importance of integrated countermeasures in containing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 before effective COVID-19 vaccines available.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, SARS, Seroprevalence, cross-reactivity, 【초록키워드】 COVID-19 vaccine, pandemic, cross-sectional, qRT-PCR, Seroprevalence, Infection, risk, anti-SARS-CoV-2, Population, cross-reactivity, Spread, Prevalence, Severe acute respiratory syndrome, immunoassay, lateral flow immunoassay, anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, Epidemic, SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, IgG antibody, SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence, SARS-CoV-2 antibody, anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody, IgG antibodies, outbreak, sera, community transmission, epidemiological, chemiluminescent immunoassay, respiratory, group, Taiwan, Roche, SARS-CoV-2 IgG, False-positive, Abbott, determined by, acute respiratory syndrome, Participants, positive result, participant, exclusion, Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG, LINE, country, effective, tested, healthy, conducted, provide, imperative, Elecsy, frontline healthcare worker, symptomatic patient, 【제목키워드】 survey, Population, Taiwan,