SARS-CoV-2 serosurvey across multiple waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City between 2020-2023

Nat Commun. 2024 Jul 11;15(1):5847. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-50052-2.

Abstract

Sero-monitoring provides context to the epidemiology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections and changes in population immunity following vaccine introduction. Here, we describe results of a cross-sectional hospital-based study of anti-spike seroprevalence in New York City (NYC) from February 2020 to July 2022, and a follow-up period from August 2023 to October 2023. Samples from 55,092 individuals, spanning five epidemiological waves were analyzed. Prevalence ratios (PR) were obtained using Poisson regression. Anti-spike antibody levels increased gradually over the first two waves, with a sharp increase during the 3rd wave coinciding with SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in NYC resulting in seroprevalence levels >90% by July 2022. Our data provide insights into the dynamic changes in immunity occurring in a large and diverse metropolitan community faced with a new viral pathogen and reflects the patterns of antibody responses as the pandemic transitions into an endemic stage.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antibodies, Viral* / blood
  • Antibodies, Viral* / immunology
  • COVID-19 Vaccines / immunology
  • COVID-19* / epidemiology
  • COVID-19* / immunology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • New York City / epidemiology
  • Pandemics
  • SARS-CoV-2* / immunology
  • SARS-CoV-2* / isolation & purification
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus* / immunology
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus
  • spike protein, SARS-CoV-2
  • COVID-19 Vaccines