The Covid-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented need for epidemiological monitoring using diverse strategies. We conducted a project combining prevalence, seroprevalence, and genomic surveillance approaches to describe the initial...
moreThe Covid-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented need for epidemiological monitoring using diverse strategies. We conducted a project combining prevalence, seroprevalence, and genomic surveillance approaches to describe the initial pandemic stages in Betim City, Brazil. We collected 3239 subjects in a population-based age-, sex- and neighbourhood-stratified, household, prospective; cross-sectional study divided into three surveys 21 days apart sampling the same geographical area. In the first survey, overall prevalence (participants positive in serological or molecular tests) reached 0.46% (90% CI 0.12% – 0.80%), followed by 2.69% (90% CI 1.88% – 3.49%) in the second survey and 6.67% (90% CI 5.42% - 7.92%) in the third. The underreporting reached 11, 19.6, and 20.4 times in each survey, respectively. We observed increased odds to test positive in females compared to males (OR 1.88 95% CI 1.25 – 2.82), while the single best predictor for positivity was ageusia/ anosmia (OR 8.12, 95...