Seroprevalence of COVID-19 in Oran: Cross-Sectional Study.

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was introduced in Algeria in March 2020. This study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Oran, Algeria, and to identify factors associated with seropositivity. This was a cross-sectional seroprevalence study conducted between 7 and 20 January 2021 across all 26 municipalities in the province of Oran. The study employed a random cluster sampling technique stratified by age and sex to select participants from households, who were then administered a rapid serological test. The overall seroprevalence and specific seroprevalences by municipality were calculated, and the number of COVID-19 cases in Oran was estimated. The correlation between population density and seroprevalence was also examined. Among the participants, 422 (35.6%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 32.9 to 38.4) had a positive serological test for SARS-CoV-2, and eight municipalities had seroprevalence rates above 73%. We found a strong positive correlation between population density and seroprevalence (r = 0.795, P < 0.001), indicating that areas with higher population density had higher numbers of positive COVID-19 cases. Our study provides evidence of a high seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Oran, Algeria. The estimated number of cases based on seroprevalence is much higher than the number of cases confirmed by PCR. Our findings suggest that a large proportion of the population has been infected with SARS-CoV-2, highlighting the need for continued surveillance and control measures to prevent further spread of the virus. IMPORTANCE This is the first and only seroprevalence study of COVID-19 conducted in the general population in Algeria prior to the national vaccination campaign against COVID-19. The significance of this study lies in its contribution to our understanding of the spread of the virus in the population before the implementation of the vaccination program.