Direct and Indirect Proof of SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Indigenous Wiwa Communities in North-Eastern Colombia-A Cross-Sectional Assessment Providing Preliminary Surveillance Data

Gustavo Concha; Hagen Frickmann; Anke Oey; Monika Strengert; Lothar Kreienbrock; Simone Kann

doi:10.3390/vaccines9101120

Direct and Indirect Proof of SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Indigenous Wiwa Communities in North-Eastern Colombia-A Cross-Sectional Assessment Providing Preliminary Surveillance Data

Vaccines (Basel). 2021 Oct 1;9(10):1120. doi: 10.3390/vaccines9101120.

Authors

Gustavo Concha¹, Hagen Frickmann^{2

3}, Anke Oey⁴, Monika Strengert^{5

6}, Lothar Kreienbrock⁴, Simone Kann⁷

Affiliations

¹ Organization Wiwa Yugumaiun Bunkauanarrua Tayrona (OWYBT), Department Health Advocacy, Valledupar 2000001, Colombia.
² Department of Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Bundeswehr Hospital Hamburg, 20359 Hamburg, Germany.
³ Institute for Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medicine Rostock, 18057 Rostock, Germany.
⁴ Institute for Biometry, Epidemiology and Information Processing, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, 30559 Hannover, Germany.
⁵ Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany.
⁶ TWINCORE Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
⁷ Medical Mission Institute, 97074 Würzburg, Germany.

Abstract

To provide initial data on local SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology and spread in indigenous communities in north-eastern Colombia, respiratory swabs and serum samples from volunteers of indigenous communities were examined in March and April 2021. Samples from non-indigenous Colombians from the same villages were included as well. While previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 was assessed by analysing serum samples for IgG and IgM with a rapid antibody point-of-care-test (POCT), screening for active infections was carried out with an antigen POCT test and real-time PCR from nasal swabs. In 380 indigenous and 72 non-indigenous volunteers, 61 (13.5%) active infections and an additional 113 (25%) previous infections were identified using diagnostic serology and molecular assays. Previous infections were more frequent in non-indigenous volunteers, and relevant associations of clinical features with active or previous SARS-CoV-2 infections were not observed. Symptoms reported were mild to moderate. SARS-CoV-2 was frequent in the assessed Colombian indigenous communities, as 38.5% of the study participants showed signs of exposure to SARS-CoV-2, which confirms the need to include these indigenous communities in screening and vaccination programs.

Keywords: COVID-19; Colombia; incidence; indigenous; outbreak; prevalence; surveillance.