Abstract:
We estimated the seroprevalence of anti‐severe acute respiratory syndrome
coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) antibodies in residents of African countries and
explored its associated factors. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO,
AMED, CINAHL, DOAJ and Google Scholar databases for peer reviewed articles
and pre‐prints that reported anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 antibody seroprevalence of general
or specific human populations resident in Africa. The eligible studies were eval uated using Joana Briggs Institute prevalence critical appraisal tool. Twenty‐three
studies involving 27,735 individuals were included in our paper. The pooled
seroprevalence of anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies in Africa was 22% (95%CI: 14–31)
with very high heterogeneity (I
2 = 100%, p < 0.001). Seroprevalence was highest
in studies conducted in Central Africa compared to Southern Africa, West Africa,
North Africa and East Africa respectively. The number of days between the first
reported coronavirus disease 2019 case in each country and when a seropreva lence study was conducted was a significant moderator of seroprevalence. Sero positivity was numerically influenced by gender and age of the participants with
males and those aged below 50 years being most affected with SARS‐CoV‐2
infection. The highest pooled seroprevalence in Africa reported in this review
should be interpreted cautiously due to high heterogeneity between studies.
Continued seroprevalence surveillance is warranted to establish Africa's transition
towards herd immunity.
