SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence, titres and neutralising activity in an antenatal cohort, United Kingdom, 14 April to 15 June 2020

Euro Surveill. 2020 Oct;25(42):2001721. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.41.2001721.

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 IgG screening of 1,000 antenatal serum samples in the Oxford area, United Kingdom, between 14 April and 15 June 2020, yielded a 5.3% seroprevalence, mirroring contemporaneous regional data. Among the 53 positive samples, 39 showed in vitro neutralisation activity, correlating with IgG titre (Pearson's correlation p<0.0001). While SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in pregnancy cohorts could potentially inform population surveillance, clinical correlates of infection and immunity in pregnancy, and antenatal epidemiology evolution over time need further study.

Keywords: COVID-19; ELISA; IgG; antenatal; antibody; epidemiology; neutralisation; pregnancy; prevalence; serology.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / blood*
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood*
  • Betacoronavirus / immunology*
  • COVID-19
  • Cohort Studies
  • Coronavirus Infections / blood
  • Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology*
  • England / epidemiology
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood*
  • Middle Aged
  • Pandemics*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / blood
  • Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology*
  • Population Surveillance*
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / blood*
  • Pregnancy Trimester, First / blood*
  • Prenatal Diagnosis
  • Prevalence
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Single-Blind Method
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Immunoglobulin G