Sero-prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Among Adults in the General Population in Diredawa, Ethiopia

Abstract

\n Background: Determining the extent of seropositivity of SARS-CoV-2 antibody has the potential to guide prevention and control efforts. We aimed to determine the sero prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibody among adults in the general population of Diredawa, Ethiopia. Method: Community based cross-sectional survey was conducted among random sample of 648 adult population in Diredawa from June 15 to July 30, 2020 using interview and blood sample collection. Participants were asked about demographic characteristics, COVID-19 symptoms and adherence to preventive measures. Sero-prevalence was determined using SARS-CoV-2 IgG test.Result: The estimated SARS-CoV-2 prevalence was 3.2% (95 % CI: 2.0 - 4.8) in the study region with no differences by age and sex but considerable differences were observed by adherence to COVID-19 preventive recommendations. For instance, the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 among participants who reported not to have practiced social distancing measures was 8.5 times the prevalence in their counterparts who reported of practicing social distancing. The corresponding estimates were 12.8 (95%CI, 7.0, 19) and 1.5 (95% CI, 0.5, 2.5) with statistically significant difference(p<0.01). Similarly, we observed 4.5 times higher prevalence among people who reported of not wearing face masks and who mentioned of not avoiding social gatherings. More than 80 percent of study participants reported of adherence to infection prevention measures (face masks and physical distancing recommendations). Conclusion: The SARS-CoV-2 sero-prevalence detected among adults in Diredawa was low and indicates much higher proportion of population not yet infected. COVID-19 preventive measures are associated with reduced prevalence and should be promoted to avoid transmission to the uninfected majority.