Abstract

The overarching objective of this study was to provide the descriptive epidemiology of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) epidemic in Qatar by addressing specific research questions through a series of national epidemiologic studies. Sources of data were the centralized and standardized national databases for SARS-CoV-2 infection. By July 10, 2020, 397,577 individuals had been tested for SARS-CoV-2 using polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR), of whom 110,986 were positive, a positivity cumulative rate of 27.9% (95% CI 27.8–28.1%). As of July 5, case severity rate, based on World Health Organization (WHO) severity classification, was 3.4% and case fatality rate was 1.4 per 1,000 persons. Age was by far the strongest predictor of severe, critical, or fatal infection. PCR positivity of nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swabs in a national community survey (May 6–7) including 1,307 participants was 14.9% (95% CI 11.5–19.0%); 58.5% of those testing positive were asymptomatic. Across 448 ad-hoc testing campaigns in workplaces and residential areas including 26,715 individuals, pooled mean PCR positivity was 15.6% (95% CI 13.7–17.7%). SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence was 24.0% (95% CI 23.3–24.6%) in 32,970 residual clinical blood specimens. Antibody prevalence was only 47.3% (95% CI 46.2–48.5%) in those who had at least one PCR positive result, but 91.3% (95% CI 89.5–92.9%) among those who were PCR positive > 3 weeks before serology testing. Qatar has experienced a large SARS-CoV-2 epidemic that is rapidly declining, apparently due to growing immunity levels in the population.

Details

Title
Characterizing the Qatar advanced-phase SARS-CoV-2 epidemic
Author
Abu-Raddad, Laith J 1 ; Chemaitelly Hiam 2 ; Ayoub, Houssein H 3 ; Zaina, Al Kanaani 4 ; Abdullatif, Al Khal 4 ; Einas, Al Kuwari 4 ; Butt, Adeel A 4 ; Coyle, Peter 4 ; Jeremijenko, Andrew 4 ; Kaleeckal Anvar Hassan 4 ; Latif Ali Nizar 4 ; Owen, Robert C 4 ; Rahim Hanan F Abdul 5 ; Al Abdulla Samya A 6 ; Al Kuwari Mohamed G 6 ; Kandy, Mujeeb C 6 ; Hatoun, Saeb 6 ; Ahmed Shazia Nadeem N 7 ; Al Romaihi Hamad Eid 7 ; Bansal Devendra 7 ; Dalton, Louise 7 ; Al-Thani, Mohamed H 7 ; Bertollini Roberto 7 

 Cornell University, Qatar Foundation – Education City, Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar; Cornell University, Qatar Foundation – Education City, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Disease Epidemiology Analytics On HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Viral Hepatitis, Weill Cornell Medicine–Qatar, Doha, Qatar; Cornell University, Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA (GRID:grid.5386.8) (ISNI:000000041936877X) 
 Cornell University, Qatar Foundation – Education City, Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.5386.8); Cornell University, Qatar Foundation – Education City, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Disease Epidemiology Analytics On HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Viral Hepatitis, Weill Cornell Medicine–Qatar, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.5386.8) 
 Qatar University, Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Physics, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.412603.2) (ISNI:0000 0004 0634 1084) 
 Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.413548.f) (ISNI:0000 0004 0571 546X) 
 Qatar University, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.412603.2) (ISNI:0000 0004 0634 1084) 
 Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.498624.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 4676 5308) 
 Ministry of Public Health, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.498619.b) 
Publication year
2021
Publication date
2021
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2502556051
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2021. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.