Community-based Sero-epidemiological Study of COVID-19

Community-based Sero-epidemiological Study of COVID-19 to Provide Data in Real Time on Age-stratified Infection Attack Rates, Disease Severity and Population Immunity, for Guiding Intervention Policy

Using detailed serial cross-sectional estimates of the age-specific distribution of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant-specific antibody positivity levels, the investigators derived age-specific infection attack rates and age-specific population immunity levels and tracked the magnitude of individual-level and population-level waning immunity over time. The findings will inform health policy makers on devising future public health and social measures and vaccination guidance in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: COVID-19
• Intervention / Treatment: Biological: mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine; Biological: CoronaVac vaccine

Detailed Description

Since December 2021, the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variant started spreading in Hong Kong, leading to an unprecedented 5th wave. It is known that the Omicron variant may partially evade immunity from past vaccination and infection although both appear to protect from severe disease and death. As Hong Kong emerges from the 5th wave, it will be critically important for public health policy to assess the proportion of the population with evidence of natural infection and those with evidence of detectable neutralizing antibody to the Omicron variant, either though natural infection or vaccination. Our project aims to assess these parameters.

The investigators recruited healthy blood donors by convenience sampling at the five largest blood donation centres (Mongkok, Causeway, Kwun Tong, Tsuen Wan and Shatin) of the Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (HKRCBTS). Blood donors were matched by the HKRCBTS and the Hong Kong Department of Health with official vaccination records via unique Blood Transfusion Service donor identification numbers. The records were then anonymised and provided to the study team. Blood donors were also provided with the option of self-reporting their vaccination and COVID-19 infection history.

Since the investigators need to distinguish past infection from vaccine induced immunity, they used serological test strategies that would differentiate natural infection from vaccine immunity. The investigators have previously shown that IgG antibody to the Nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV-2 (whole protein and the C-terminal domain) provides evidence of past infection and is not elicited by BNT162b2 vaccine but may be elicited by CoronaVac vaccine (Wu et al. 2021, Mok et al. 2021) . They have also shown IgG antibody to ORF8 is elicited by past infection and not by either CoronaVac or BNT162b2 (Hachim et al. 2020). The investigators used these assays to assess evidence of natural infection in blood donor samples.

Through the above procedures, the investigators obtained detailed serial cross-sectional (weekly between mid-April and the end of July, followed by monthly until the end of 2022) estimates of the age-specific distribution of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant-specific antibody positivity levels. The investigators derived age-specific infection attack rates and age-specific population immunity levels and tracked the magnitude of individual-level and population-level waning immunity over time.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 9600

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Hong Kong
  • Hong Kong, Hong Kong
    • The University of Hong Kong

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Healthy blood donors in Hong Kong aged between 18 and 65 years old

Description

Eligibility criteria follows criteria for blood donation in Hong Kong:

Inclusion Criteria:

• Have good health
• Weigh 41 kg or above (90 lbs or above)
• Aged between 18 and 65

Exclusion Criteria:

- Individuals who are not eligible for blood donation in Hong Kong

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Observational Models: Ecologic or Community
• Time Perspectives: Cross-Sectional

Number of groups / cohorts

3

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Unvaccinated blood donors; Blood donors who were unvaccinated with any COVID-19 vaccine by study recruitment
Blood donors vaccinated with BNT162b2; Blood donors who were vaccinated with one or more doses of the mRNA vaccine Comirnaty (BNT162b2 mRNA, BioNTech/Fosun-Pharma, Mainz, Germany/Shanghai, China) by study recruitment.	Biological: mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine; mRNA vaccine Comirnaty (BNT162b2 mRNA, BioNTech/Fosun-Pharma, Mainz, Germany/Shanghai, China)
Blood donors vaccinated with CoronaVac; Blood donors who were vaccinated with one or more doses of the inactivated CoronaVac (Sinovac life Sciences, Beijing, China) vaccine by study recruitment.	Biological: CoronaVac vaccine; Inactivated CoronaVac vaccine (Sinovac Life Sciences, Beijing, China)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Covid-19 seropositivity	Study subject is seropositive with SARS-CoV-2 anti-N (unvaccinated or BNT162b2 vaccinated donors only) or anti-ORF8 (CoronaVac vaccinated donors only) antibodies.	28 April 2022 to 31 December 2022

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: The University of Hong Kong
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Joseph T Wu, The University of Hong Kong

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 28, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 31, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): March 31, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 28, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 28, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): October 31, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): December 11, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 5, 2024
• Last Verified: September 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Respiratory Tract Infections; Infections; RNA Virus Infections; Virus Diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Lung Diseases; Pneumonia, Viral; Pneumonia; Coronavirus Infections; Coronaviridae Infections; Nidovirales Infections; COVID-19; Immunologic Factors; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Vaccines
• Other Study ID Numbers: UW 20-132

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No