Vette Kaitlyn M, Machalek Dorothy A, Gidding Heather F, Nicholson Suellen, O'Sullivan Matthew V N, Carlin John B, Downes Marnie, Armstrong Lucy, Beard Frank H, Dwyer Dominic E, Gibb Robert, Gosbell Iain B, Hendry Alexandra J, Higgins Geoff, Hirani Rena, Hueston Linda, Irving David O, Quinn Helen E, Shilling Hannah, Smith David, Kaldor John M, Macartney Kristine
National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, Sydney, Australia.
The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Open Forum Infect Dis. 2022 Jan 31;9(3):ofac002. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofac002. eCollection 2022 Mar.
As of mid-2021, Australia's only nationwide coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic occurred in the first 6 months of the pandemic. Subsequently, there has been limited transmission in most states and territories. Understanding community spread during the first wave was hampered by initial limitations on testing and surveillance. To characterize the prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific antibody seroprevalence generated during this time, we undertook Australia's largest national SARS-CoV-2 serosurvey.
Between June 19 and August 6, 2020, residual specimens were sampled from people undergoing general pathology testing (all ages), women attending antenatal screening (20-39 years), and blood donors (20-69 years) based on the Australian population's age and geographic distributions. Specimens were tested by Wantai total SARS-CoV-2-antibody assay. Seroprevalence estimates adjusted for test performance were produced. The SARS-CoV-2 antibody-positive specimens were characterized with microneutralization assays.
Of 11 317 specimens (5132 general pathology; 2972 antenatal; 3213 blood-donors), 71 were positive for SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies. Seroprevalence estimates were 0.47% (95% credible interval [CrI], 0.04%-0.89%), 0.25% (CrI, 0.03%-0.54%), and 0.23% (CrI, 0.04%-0.54%), respectively. No seropositive specimens had neutralizing antibodies.
Australia's seroprevalence was extremely low (<0.5%) after the only national COVID-19 wave thus far. These data and the subsequent limited community transmission highlight the population's naivety to SARS-CoV-2 and the urgency of increasing vaccine-derived protection.
截至2021年年中，澳大利亚唯一一次全国性的2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）疫情发生在大流行的前6个月。随后，大多数州和地区的传播有限。由于最初检测和监测的限制，对第一波疫情期间社区传播的了解受到阻碍。为了描述这段时间内产生的严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）特异性抗体血清流行率，我们开展了澳大利亚最大规模的全国性SARS-CoV-2血清学调查。
2020年6月19日至8月6日期间，根据澳大利亚人口的年龄和地理分布，从接受常规病理检测的人群（所有年龄段）、参加产前筛查的女性（20 - 39岁）和献血者（20 - 69岁）中采集剩余样本。样本采用万泰总SARS-CoV-2抗体检测法进行检测。生成了针对检测性能进行调整的血清流行率估计值。对SARS-CoV-2抗体阳性样本进行了微量中和试验。
在11317份样本中（5132份常规病理样本；2972份产前样本；3213份献血者样本），71份SARS-CoV-2特异性抗体呈阳性。血清流行率估计值分别为0.47%（95%可信区间[CrI]，0.04% - 0.89%）、0.25%（CrI，0.03% - 0.54%）和0.23%（CrI，0.04% - 0.54%）。没有血清阳性样本具有中和抗体。
在迄今为止唯一一次全国性的COVID-19疫情之后，澳大利亚的血清流行率极低（<0.5%）。这些数据以及随后有限的社区传播凸显了人群对SARS-CoV-2的易感性以及增加疫苗衍生保护的紧迫性。
