SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence at urban and rural sites in Kaduna State, Nigeria, during October/November 2021, immediately prior to the detection of the Omicron variant

Abstract

Background: Nigeria is Africa’s most populated country. By November 2021 it had experienced three waves of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Peer-reviewed seroprevalence data assessing the proportion of the Nigerian population that have been infected were extremely limited.

Methods: We conducted a serosurvey in one urban site (n = 400) and one rural site (n = 402) in Kaduna State, Nigeria between 11 October 2021 and 8 November 2021. Z-tests were used to compare seroprevalence across age groups, locations and sexes. T tests were used to determine whether age or household size are associated with seropositivity. Associations between seropositivity and recent history of common Covid-19 symptoms were tested using logistic regression.

Results: SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected in 42.5% an 53.5% of participants at the urban and rural sites, respectively The overall age- and sex- stratified seroprevalence was 43.7% (42.2% for unvaccinated individuals). The data indicate an infection rate in Kaduna State ≥359-fold the rate derived from polymerase chain reaction-confirmed cases. In the urban site, seroprevalence among females and participants aged <20 was lower than other groups. Reporting loss of sense of taste and/or smell was strongly associated with seropositive status. Associations with seropositivity were also found for the reporting of dry cough, fever, headache, nausea and sore throat.

Conclusions: This study provides baseline SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Kaduna State, Nigeria, immediately prior to the spread of the Omicron variant. It indicates that in October/November 2021, approximately 56% of the population did not have detectable antibodies, and population subgroups with particularly low seroprevalence remain. It highlights limitations in using PCR-confirmed cases to estimate infection rates. The data will inform public health strategies in Nigeria and other sub-Saharan African countries with limited SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence data.

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This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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DOI

https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyac141

Repository URI

http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/273388/