Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Cincinnati Ohio USA from August to December 2020

  1. Greg Davis
  2. Allen J. York
  3. Willis Clark Bacon
  4. Suh-Chin Lin
  5. Monica Malone McNeal
  6. Alexander E. Yarawsky
  7. Joseph J. Maciag
  8. Jeanette L. C. Miller
  9. Kathryn C. S. Locker
  10. Michelle Bailey
  11. Rebecca Stone
  12. Michael Hall
  13. Judith Gonzalez
  14. Alyssa Sproles
  15. E. Steve Woodle
  16. Kristen Safier
  17. Kristine A. Justus
  18. Paul Spearman
  19. Russell E. Ware
  20. Jose A. Cancelas
  21. Michael B. Jordan
  22. Andrew B. Herr
  23. David A. Hildeman
  24. Jeffery D. Molkentin

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Abstract

The world is currently in a pandemic of COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease-2019) caused by a novel positive-sense, single-stranded RNA β-coronavirus referred to as SARS-CoV-2. Here we investigated rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the greater Cincinnati, Ohio, USA metropolitan area from August 13 to December 8, 2020, just prior to initiation of the national vaccination program. Examination of 9,550 adult blood donor volunteers for serum IgG antibody positivity against the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein showed an overall prevalence of 8.40%, measured as 7.56% in the first 58 days and 9.24% in the last 58 days, and 12.86% in December 2020, which we extrapolated to ~20% as of March, 2021. Males and females showed similar rates of past infection, and rates among Hispanic or Latinos, African Americans and Whites were also investigated. Donors under 30 years of age had the highest rates of past infection, while those over 60 had the lowest. Geographic analysis showed higher rates of infectivity on the West side of Cincinnati compared with the East side (split by I-75) and the lowest rates in the adjoining region of Kentucky (across the Ohio river). These results in regional seroprevalence will help inform efforts to best achieve herd immunity in conjunction with the national vaccination campaign.

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  1. Version published to 10.1371/journal.pone.0254667
  2. ScreenIT

    SciScore for 10.1101/2021.03.11.21253263: (What is this?)

    Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.

    Table 1: Rigor

    Institutional Review Board StatementIRB: Specimens were de-identified and as such, the University of Cincinnati Institutional Review Board (FWA #: 000003152) ruled that these blood donor samples and their analysis as constituting non-human research for the proposed study of SARS-CoV-2 serological responsiveness.
    Randomizationnot detected.
    Blindingnot detected.
    Power Analysisnot detected.
    Sex as a biological variablenot detected.

    Table 2: Resources

    Software and Algorithms
    SentencesResources
    The ProtParam web server was used to calculate the molecular weight (RBD: 27,496.24 Da; Spike: 139,195.53 Da) and extinction coefficient at 280 nm (RBD: 33850 M-1 cm-1; Spike: 142835 M-1 cm-1) based on the amino acid sequences of RBD and S.
    ProtParam
    suggested: (ProtParam Tool, RRID:SCR_018087)
    Data were analyzed using SEDFIT’s continuous c(s) distribution model (24), SEDANAL version 7.45 (25), or DCDT+ version 2.4.3 (26).
    DCDT+
    suggested: None
    Statistics: Means and Standard Deviations were determined for all data sets using Microsoft Excel Data Analysis Descriptive Statistics tool; histograms were made using the Microsoft Excel Data Analysis Histogram tool and all graphs were made using Microsoft Excel.
    Microsoft Excel Data Analysis
    suggested: None
    Microsoft Excel Data Analysis Correlation tool was used to produce correlations within the Luminex data shown in Table 4.
    Microsoft Excel
    suggested: (Microsoft Excel, RRID:SCR_016137)

    Results from OddPub: We did not detect open data. We also did not detect open code. Researchers are encouraged to share open data when possible (see Nature blog).

    Results from LimitationRecognizer: An explicit section about the limitations of the techniques employed in this study was not found. We encourage authors to address study limitations.

    Results from TrialIdentifier: No clinical trial numbers were referenced.

    Results from Barzooka: We did not find any issues relating to the usage of bar graphs.

    Results from JetFighter: We did not find any issues relating to colormaps.

    Results from rtransparent:
    • Thank you for including a conflict of interest statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • Thank you for including a funding statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • No protocol registration statement was detected.

    About SciScore

    SciScore is an automated tool that is designed to assist expert reviewers by finding and presenting formulaic information scattered throughout a paper in a standard, easy to digest format. SciScore checks for the presence and correctness of RRIDs (research resource identifiers), and for rigor criteria such as sex and investigator blinding. For details on the theoretical underpinning of rigor criteria and the tools shown here, including references cited, please follow this link.

  3. Version published to 10.1101/2021.03.11.21253263v1 on medRxiv