The Lancet.Many experts consider seroprevalence to be the most comprehensive method of tracking the spread of COVID-19 in communities.
Seroprevalence refers to the percentage of individuals in a population who have antibodies against an infectious agent.Seroprevalence surveys use antibody tests to check blood samples for the presence of antibodies.
In this case, the researchers checked the presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus that causes COVID-19. A person who is seropositive usually has measurable levels of antibodies in the blood around 1–3 weeks after contracting the infection.However, seroprevalence studies are challenging, as they require outreach into communities to perform random blood draws, and some people.