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SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among blood donors in Uganda: 2019-2022

  1. Author:
    Bloch, Evan M [ORCID]
    Kyeyune, Dorothy
    White, Jodie L
    Ddungu, Henry
    Ashokkumar, Swetha
    Habtehyimer, Feben
    Baker, Owen
    Kasirye, Ronnie
    Patel, Eshan U
    Grabowski, M Kate
    Musisi, Ezra
    Moses, Khan
    Hume, Heather A
    Lubega, Irene
    Shrestha, Ruchee
    Motevalli, Mahnaz
    Fernandez, Reinaldo E
    Reynolds, Steven J
    Redd, Andrew D
    Wambongo Musana, Hellen
    Dhabangi, Aggrey [ORCID]
    Ouma, Joseph
    Eroju, Priscilla
    de Lange, Telsa
    Fowler, Mary Glenn
    Musoke, Philippa
    Stramer, Susan L [ORCID]
    Whitby,Denise
    Zimmerman, Peter A
    McCullough, Jeffrey [ORCID]
    Sachithanandham, Jaiprasath
    Pekosz, Andrew
    Goodrich, Raymond [ORCID]
    Quinn, Thomas C
    Ness, Paul M
    Laeyendecker, Oliver
    Tobian, Aaron A R [ORCID]

  2. Author Address

    Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA., Uganda Blood Transfusion Services, Kampala, Uganda., Uganda Cancer Institute, Kampala, Uganda., Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA., Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA., MUJHU Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda., Department of Pediatrics, University of Montreal, Montr 233;al, QC, Canada., Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences., National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Office of Cyber Infrastructure and Computational Biology, Bethesda, Maryland, USA., Scientific Affairs, American Red Cross, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA., Viral Oncology Section, AIDS and Cancer Virus Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA., The Center for Global Health & Diseases, Pathology Department, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio., College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, Arizona, USA., Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA., Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.,
    1. Year: 2023
    2. Date: May 31
    3. Epub Date: 2023 05 31
  2. Journal: Transfusion
  4. Type of Article: Article
  1. Abstract:

    The true burden of COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries remains poorly characterized, especially in Africa. Even prior to the availability of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, countries in Africa had lower numbers of reported COVID-19 related hospitalizations and deaths than other regions globally. Ugandan blood donors were evaluated between October 2019 and April 2022 for IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N), spike (S), and five variants of the S protein using multiplexed electrochemiluminescence immunoassays (MesoScale Diagnostics, Rockville, MD). Seropositivity for N and S was assigned using manufacturer-provided cutoffs and trends in seroprevalence were estimated by quarter. Statistically significant associations between N and S antibody seropositivity and donor characteristics in November-December 2021 were assessed by chi-square tests. A total of 5393 blood unit samples from donors were evaluated. N and S seropositivity increased throughout the pandemic to 82.5% in January-April 2022. Among seropositive individuals, N and S antibody levels increased =9-fold over the study period. In November-December 2021, seropositivity to N and S antibody was higher among repeat donors (61.3%) compared to new donors (55.1%; p=0.043) and among donors from Kampala (capital city of Uganda) compared to rural regions (p=0.007). Seropositivity to S antibody was significantly lower among HIV-seropositive individuals (58.8% vs. 84.9%; p=0.009). Despite previously reported low numbers of COVID-19 cases and related deaths in Uganda, high SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and increasing antibody levels among blood donors indicated that the country experienced high levels of infection over the course of the pandemic. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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External Sources

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  2. DOI: 10.1111/trf.17449
  3. PMID: 37255467

Library Notes

  1. Fiscal Year: FY2022-2023
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