The National Public Health Institute of Liberia and its partners (AFENET, UL, and University of Hawaii) have kicked off the SARS-COV-2 / COVID-19 Serological Prevalence study and Knowledge Attitude and Practice Study in Liberia.
The study is taking place in five health regions within five selected counties in Liberia namely Montserrado, Grand Cape Mount, Sinoe, Bong, and Maryland Counties.
The objectives of the study are to estimate the proportion of the general Liberian population that has antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, with stratification by age, sex, geography, and vaccination status, and to characterize different epidemiologic, socio-economic, behavioral, and geographic factors influencing test-seeking and vaccination.
Liberia has not had a nationally representative seroprevalence study performed at any point during the pandemic, therefore the true incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Liberia is unknown.
It is therefore unclear which proportion of the population is protected against COVID-19, preexisting immunity, or vaccination.
The seroprevalence investigation will aid government representatives, policymakers, and public health leaders to estimate the proportion of the population that was ever infected, along with the proportion of the population who have existing natural or vaccine-based immunity to SARS-CoV-2.
Specifically, serologic data, combined with robustly collected epidemiologic and clinical information, could influence how the Government of Liberia and its stakeholders proceed both during the remainder of this pandemic and in future public health emergencies with regard to vaccine mandates and campaign prioritization.
Data generated from this combined retrospective and cross-sectional investigation will provide a useful complement to scientific findings generated by ongoing prospective cohort studies already underway.
Data generated through the cross-sectional seroprevalence surveys will provide context to interpret the social and behavioral data captured during the household visits.
Therefore, in a release through its Communications Director, Joseph S. Wiah, the National Public Health Institute of Liberia is calling on the public to cooperate with the team of researchers in the field.
