Community-based Sero-epidemiological Study of COVID-19

NCT ID: NCT05599555

Last Updated: 2024-12-11

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Total Enrollment

9600 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2022-04-28

Study Completion Date

2023-03-31

Brief Summary

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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.

Detailed Description

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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.

Conditions

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COVID-19

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

ECOLOGIC_OR_COMMUNITY

Study Time Perspective

CROSS_SECTIONAL

Study Groups

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Unvaccinated blood donors

Blood donors who were unvaccinated with any COVID-19 vaccine by study recruitment

No interventions assigned to this group

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.

mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine

Intervention Type BIOLOGICAL

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.

CoronaVac vaccine

Intervention Type BIOLOGICAL

Inactivated CoronaVac vaccine (Sinovac Life Sciences, Beijing, China)

Interventions

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mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine

mRNA vaccine Comirnaty (BNT162b2 mRNA, BioNTech/Fosun-Pharma, Mainz, Germany/Shanghai, China)

Intervention Type BIOLOGICAL

CoronaVac vaccine

Inactivated CoronaVac vaccine (Sinovac Life Sciences, Beijing, China)

Intervention Type BIOLOGICAL

Eligibility Criteria

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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
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

65 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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The University of Hong Kong

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Joseph T Wu

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

The University of Hong Kong

Locations

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The University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong, , Hong Kong

Site Status

Countries

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Hong Kong

Other Identifiers

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UW 20-132

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id