Assessing Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies Among US College Students after School Reopening

Abstract

Objective: This study assessed the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies at two timepoints to evaluate the effectiveness of COVID-19 precautions in two colleges. Participants: The study enrolled students, faculty, and staff from Covenant and Geneva Colleges. Methods: During the fall of 2020 the Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group partnered with Vibrant America to hand out self-administered finger stick antibody tests at the start of the fall semester and again two months later. Results: The study enrolled 305 participants from Covenant and 671 from Geneva College at timepoint 1 and 198 participants from Covenant and 554 from Geneva College at timepoint 2. Seroprevalence rates were 2.3% and 1.6% at timepoint 1, and 0.5% and 3.97% at timepoint 2 at Covenant and Geneva Colleges, respectively. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that implementation of strict preventive measures may have kept the spread of COVID-19 low at these colleges during the study period.