Seroepidemiological study of SARS-CoV-2 infection in East Java, Indonesia

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to a global pandemic, including Indonesia. However, there are only limited data regarding the precise prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. Here, to estimate the magnitude of SARS-CoV-2 infection in East Java, Indonesia, we investigated the prevalence of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies. We enrolled 1,819 individuals from June to December 2020 and observed that the subjects’ overall prevalence of IgG antibody to SARS-CoV-2 was 11.4% (207/1,819). The prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies differed significantly between the job/occupation groups (P = 0.0001). A greater prevalence of IgG was detected in laboratory technicians (who take samples from suspected cases and deal with polymerase chain reaction [PCR] procedures, 22.2%) compared to medical personnel who see and take direct care of patients with COVID-19 (e.g., physicians and nurses, 6.0%), other staff in medical facilities (2.9%), general population (12.1%) and non-COVID-19 patients (14.6%). The highest prevalence among age groups was in the 40–49-year-olds (14.8%), and the lowest prevalence was in the 20–29-year-olds (7.4%). However, the younger population still showed a higher prevalence than generally reported, suggesting greater exposure to the virus but less susceptibility to the disease. A geographical difference was also observed: a higher prevalence in Surabaya (13.1%) than in Jombang (9.9%). In conclusion, the COVID-19 outbreak among asymptomatic populations was characterized by a high prevalence of infection in East Java, Indonesia.

Low Seroprevalence of COVID-19 in Lao PDR, Late 2020

“…These data likely reflect the low incidence of COVID-19 within the country and are in agreement with the few confirmed cases in 2020 and low reported rates of hospitalisation of patients with respiratory illnesses in Lao PDR [7] . Low seroprevalence in the general population in Lao PDR, 2020 is similar to studies from other countries in southeast Asia where COVID-19 cases were low [30] and in contrast to high incidence countries [31] . Healthcare workers are particularly at risk of infection and our data showing low seroprevalence are again in agreement with studies from countries with low reported COVID-19 cases [32][33][34] , and in contrast to higher seroprevalence in countries with higher incidence of confirmed COVID-19 cases, including in East Asia [35] .…”

The Second Wave of COVID-19 in South and Southeast Asia and the Effects of Vaccination

“…The Indian government-initiated serum surveys indicate a 24.1% positivity of serum antibody (15). An 11.4% overall prevalence of IgG antibodies is demonstrated, but the prevalence of IgG in laboratory technicians was much higher than in other professions in East Java, Indonesia (12). The Singapore government tested all the migrant workers in dedicated hostels through PCR and serological methods within 4 months and obtained an overall infection rate of 56.1% (16).…”

“…Based on the survey ( 11 ) by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), around 21.4% of 28,589 adolescent participants had been infected as of February 4, 2021. Another serological study ( 12 ) found that the prevalence of IgG antibody (indication of past infection) to SARS-CoV-2 was 11.4% in East Java, Indonesia. A serological study ( 13 ) among healthcare workers in the Kathmandu valley, Nepal, showed a 23% positivity for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing.…”

“…Using a chi-squared test of categorical variables, there is a significant difference in the prevalence of SARS-COV-2 antibodies between working and occupational groups. A higher prevalence of IgG was detected in laboratory technicians (22.2%) compared with healthcare workers (6.0%) directly treating patients with COVID-19 and other healthcare workers (2.9%) ( 12 ).…”

Seroprevalence of antibodies against SARS-Cov-2 in the high impacted sub-district in Jakarta, Indonesia

“…The results generally found a higher prevalence of the actual COVID-19 infection than the reported one [ 15 ], such as a study in Guilan, Iran that discovered a 22% seroprevalence, 323 times as high as the reported cases [ 16 ]. To date, only one study explores COVID-19 seroprevalence in Indonesia, particularly in East Java,—a province that frequently contributes largely to the high cumulative COVID-19 cases in the country [ 17 ]. Therefore, it is vital to conduct more seroprevalence studies, especially in the special capital region of Jakarta that constantly records the highest cases of COVID-19 in Indonesia [ 2 ].…”