SARS-CoV-2 exposure in Malawian blood donors: an analysis of seroprevalence and variant dynamics between January 2020 and July 2021.
Jonathan MandoloJacquline MsefulaMarc Y R HenrionComfort BrownBrewster MoyoAubrey SamonThandeka Moyo-GweteZanele MakhadoFrances AyresThopisang MotlouNonkululeko MzindleNewton KalataAdamson S MuulaGaurav KwatraNatasha NsamalaAndrew LikakaThom MfunePenny L MooreBridon MbayaNeil FrenchRobert S HeydermanTodd SwarthoutKondwani C JamboPublished in: BMC medicine (2021)
The findings confirm extensive SARS-CoV-2 exposure in Malawi over two epidemic waves with likely poor cross-protection to reinfection from the first on the second wave. The dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 exposure will therefore need to be taken into account in the formulation of the COVID-19 vaccination policy in Malawi and across the region. Future studies should use an adequate sample size for the assessment of neutralisation activity across a panel of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern/interest to estimate community immunity.