Saliva is a body fluid with hitherto unused potential for the assessment of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Specific antibodies can indicate a past SARS-CoV-2 infection and allow to estimate the proportion of individuals with a potential protective immunity. First, we carefully characterized plasma samples obtained from adult control groups with and without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection using certified reference ELISAs. Simultaneously collected saliva samples of confirmed convalescent and negative individuals where then used to validate the herein newly developed ELISA for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in saliva. The saliva ELISA was applied to assess SARS-CoV-2 exposure in young children (N = 837) in the age between 1 and 10 years in Tübingen, Germany, towards the end of the first pandemic year 2020. Sensitivity and specificity of the new saliva ELISA was 87% and 100%, respectively. With 12% of all Tübingen children sampled via their respective educational institutions, estimates of SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence was 1.6%. Interestingly, only 0.4% preschool kids were positive compared to 3.0% of primary school children. Less than 20% of positive children self-reported symptoms within two months prior to saliva sampling that could be associated – but not exclusively – with a SARS-CoV-2 infection. The saliva ELISA is a valid and suitable protocol to enable population-based surveys for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Using non-invasive sampling and saliva ELISA testing, we found that prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was significantly lower in young children than in primary school children.
【저자키워드】 antibodies, SARS-CoV-2, Saliva, Epidemiology, children, Prevalence, 【초록키워드】 Saliva, pandemic, protocol, antibody, SARS-COV-2 infection, primary school, ELISA, specificity, SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, SARS-CoV-2 antibody, protective immunity, Germany, SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody, age, convalescent, estimate, ELISAs, SARS-CoV-2 IgG, specific antibodies, educational institutions, body fluid, school children, Self-reported symptoms, Non-invasive, control group, individual, plasma samples, SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies, Tübingen, saliva samples, positive, Specific, significantly lower, ELISA testing, self-reported symptom, population-based surveys, plasma sample, collected, proportion, applied, characterized, 【제목키워드】 assessment, exposure,