Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34411992›Full record

ArticlePublic health2021

National population prevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in Scotland during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

N E Palmateer, E Dickson, E Furrie, I Godber, D J Goldberg, P Gousias, L Jarvis, L Mathie, S Mavin, J McMenamin and 10 more

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Public health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 34% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Seroprevalence Survey of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in a Population of Emilia-Romagna Region, Northern Italy.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022
    Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors at 11 institutions in 1 country.

N E PalmateerSexual Health and Blood-borne Viruses, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, United Kingdom; Public Health Scotland, Glasgow, United Kingdom. Electronic address: norah.palmateer@phs.scot.
E DicksonPublic Health Scotland, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
E FurrieImmunology Laboratory Service, Blood Sciences, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, United Kingdom.
I GodberBiochemistry Department, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
D J GoldbergSexual Health and Blood-borne Viruses, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, United Kingdom; Public Health Scotland, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
P GousiasPublic Health Scotland, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
L JarvisScottish National Blood Transfusion Service, Jack Copland Centre, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
L MathiePublic Health Scotland, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
S MavinScottish Microbiology Reference Laboratory, Inverness, United Kingdom.
J McMenaminPublic Health Scotland, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
T N McNeillyMoredun Research Institute, Penicuik, United Kingdom.
P MurciaCentre for Virus Research, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
J MurrayPublic Health Scotland, Glasgow, United Kingdom; Public Health, NHS Fife, Leven, United Kingdom.
G ReidPublic Health Scotland, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
C RobertsonPublic Health Scotland, Glasgow, United Kingdom; University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
K TempletonDepartment of Medical Microbiology, Royal Infirmary, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
B von WissmannPublic Health, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
L A WallacePublic Health Scotland, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
C WaughPublic Health Scotland, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
A McAuleySexual Health and Blood-borne Viruses, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, United Kingdom; Public Health Scotland, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
Public Health Scotland · GBGlasgow Caledonian University · GBMoredun Research Institute · GBMRC University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research · GBNHS Fife · GBNHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde · GBNHS Lothian · GBNinewells Hospital · GBQueen Elizabeth University Hospital · GBScottish National Blood Transfusion Service · GBUniversity of Strathclyde · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesStudies that measure the prevalence of antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ('seroprevalence') are essential to understand population exposure to SARS-CoV-2 among symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. We aimed to measure seroprevalence in the Scottish population over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic - from before the first recorded case in Scotland through to the second pandemic wave. STUDY

designThe study design of this study is serial cross sectional.

methodsWe tested 41,477 residual samples retrieved from primary and antenatal care settings across Scotland for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies over a 12-month period from December 2019-December 2020 (before rollout of COVID-19 vaccination). Five-weekly rolling seroprevalence estimates were adjusted for the sensitivity and specificity of the assays and weighted to reference populations. Temporal trends in seroprevalence estimates and weekly SARS-CoV-2 notifications were compared.

resultsFive-weekly rolling seroprevalence rates were 0% until the end of March, when they increased contemporaneously with the first pandemic wave. Seroprevalence rates remained stable through the summer (range: 3%-5%) during a period of social restrictions, after which they increased concurrently with the second wave, reaching 9.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.4%-10.8%) in the week beginning 28th December in 2020. Seroprevalence rates were lower in rural vs. urban areas (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.61-0.79) and among individuals aged 20-39 years and 60 years and older (AOR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.64-0.86; AOR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.69-0.91, respectively) relative to those aged 0-19 years.

conclusionsAfter two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, less than one in ten individuals in the Scottish population had antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. Seroprevalence may underestimate the true population exposure as a result of waning antibodies among individuals who were infected early in the first wave.

Indexed as

COVID-19PandemicsAntibodies, ViralCOVID-19 VaccinesCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansImmunoglobulin GPregnancyPrevalenceSARS-CoV-2ScotlandSeroepidemiologic StudiesAntibodies, ViralCOVID-19 VaccinesImmunoglobulin GAntibodiesCOVID-19Cross sectionalSARS-CoV-2Seroprevalence

Identifiers

PMID34411992
PMCPMC8289625
OpenAlexW3184968031

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.