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Al-Thani MH, Farag E, Bertollini R, Al Romaihi HE, Abdeen S, Abdelkarim A, Daraan F, Elhaj Ismail AIH, Mostafa N, Sahl M, Suliman J, Tayar E, Kasem HA, Agsalog MJA, Akkarathodiyil BK, Alkhalaf AA, Alakshar MMMH, Al-Qahtani AAAH, Al-Shedifat MHA, Ansari A, Ataalla AA, Chougule S, Gopinathan AKKV, Poolakundan FJ, Ranbhise SU, Saefan SMA, Thaivalappil MM, Thoyalil AS, Umar IM, Al Kanaani Z, Al Khal A, Al Kuwari E, Butt AA, Coyle P, Jeremijenko A, Kaleeckal AH, Latif AN, Shaik RM, Abdul Rahim HF, Yassine HM, Nasrallah GK, Al Kuwari MG, Chaghoury O, Chemaitelly H, Abu-Raddad LJ. SARS-CoV-2 Infection Is at Herd Immunity in the Majority Segment of the Population of Qatar. Open Forum Infect Dis 2021; 8:ofab221. [PMID: 34458388 PMCID: PMC8135898 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofab221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Qatar experienced a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) epidemic that disproportionately affected the craft and manual worker (CMW) population, who comprise 60% of the total population. This study aimed to assess ever and/or current infection prevalence in this population. METHODS A cross-sectional population-based survey was conducted during July 26 to September 09, 2020, to assess both anti-SARS-CoV-2 positivity through serological testing and current infection positivity through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. Associations with antibody and PCR positivity were identified through regression analyses. RESULTS The study included 2641 participants, 69.3% of whom were <40 years of age. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 positivity was 55.3% (95% CI, 53.3%-57.3%) and was significantly associated with nationality, geographic location, educational attainment, occupation, and previous infection diagnosis. PCR positivity was 11.3% (95% CI, 9.9%-12.8%) and was significantly associated with nationality, geographic location, occupation, contact with an infected person, and reporting 2 or more symptoms. Infection positivity (antibody and/or PCR positive) was 60.6% (95% CI, 58.6%-62.5%). The proportion of antibody-positive CMWs who had a prior SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis was 9.3% (95% CI, 7.9%-11.0%). Only seven infections were ever severe, and only 1 was ever critical-an infection severity rate of 0.5% (95% CI, 0.2%-1.0%). CONCLUSIONS Six in every 10 CMWs in Qatar have been infected, suggestive of reaching the herd immunity threshold. Infection severity was low, with only 1 in every 200 infections progressing to be severe or critical. Only 1 in every 10 infections had been previously diagnosed, which is suggestive of mostly asymptomatic or mild infections.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Mohamed Sahl
- Ministry of Public Health, Doha, Qatar
- Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Adeel A Butt
- Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Peter Coyle
- Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
- The Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queens University, Belfast, UK
- Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Hadi M Yassine
- Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, Member of QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Gheyath K Nasrallah
- Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, Member of QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | | | | | - Hiam Chemaitelly
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Cornell University, Qatar Foundation-Education City, Doha, Qatar
- World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Disease Epidemiology Analytics on HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Viral Hepatitis, Weill Cornell Medicine–Qatar, Cornell University, Qatar Foundation—Education City, Doha, Qatar
| | - Laith J Abu-Raddad
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, New York, USA
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Cornell University, Qatar Foundation-Education City, Doha, Qatar
- World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Disease Epidemiology Analytics on HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Viral Hepatitis, Weill Cornell Medicine–Qatar, Cornell University, Qatar Foundation—Education City, Doha, Qatar
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