Abstract
Background: Prospective population-based studies investigating multiple determinants of pre-vaccination antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 are lacking.
Aims: To study factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity.
Methods: We did a prospective population-based study in SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-naive UK adults recruited from May to November 2020, without a positive swab test result for SARS-CoV-2 prior to enrolment. Information on 88 potential sociodemographic, behavioural, nutritional, clinical, and pharmacological risk factors was obtained through online questionnaires, and combined IgG/IgA/IgM responses to SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein were determined in dried blood spots.
Results: 1696 (15.2%) of 11,130 participants were seropositive. Factors independently associated with higher risk of seropositivity included frontline health/care occupation (adjusted OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.48-2.33), international travel (1.20, 1.07-1.35), number of visits to shops and other indoor public places (≥5 vs 0/week: 1.29, 1.06-1.57, P-trend=0.01), BMI ≥25 vs <25 kg/m² (1.24, 1.11-1.39), South Asian vs White ethnicity (1.65, 1.10-2.49), alcohol consumption ≥15 vs 0 units/week (1.23, 1.04-1.46), sex hormone therapy (1.25, 1.02-1.52), and use of vitamin D supplements (1.16, 1.03-1.30). Postgraduate degree (vs primary or secondary level: 0.82, 0.67-0.99), light physical exercise (0.80, 0.70-0.93, for ≥10 vs 0-4 h/week), passive smoking (0.59, 0.37-0.95), and prescribed paracetamol use (0.70, 0.52-0.96) were independently associated with lower risk.
Conclusions: Our findings confirm ethnic, occupational, and lifestyle determinants of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity and identify additional risk factors.
Footnotes
Cite this article as Eur Respir J 2022; 60: Suppl. 66, 2322.
This article was presented at the 2022 ERS International Congress, in session “-”.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
- Copyright ©the authors 2022
