AUTHOR=Vallejo-Janeta Alexander Paolo , Morales-Jadan Diana , Paredes-Espinosa Maria Belen , Coronel Barbara , Galvis Heberson , Bone-Guano Hugo Renato , Amador Rodriguez Belen , Gomez Abeledo Guadalupe , Freire-Paspuel Byron , Ortiz-Prado Esteban , Rivera-Olivero Ismar , Henriquez-Trujillo Aquiles Rodrigo , Lozada Tannya , Bereguiain Miguel Angel Garcia ,  the UDLA COVID-19 Team , Jaramillo Tatiana , Gordon Daniela Santander , Iturralde Gabriel Alfredo , Teran Julio Alejandro , Vasquez Karen Marcela , Rondal Jonathan Dario , Granda Genoveva , Santamaria Ana Cecilia , Pino Cynthia Lorena , Espinosa Oscar Lenin , Buitron Angie , Grisales David Sanchez , Jimenez Karina Beatriz , Bastidas Vanessa , Aguilar Dayana Marcela , Paredes Ines Maria , Bilvao Christian David , Pazmiño Sebastian Rodriguez , Laglaguano Juan Carlos , Herrera Henry , Espinosa Pablo Marcelo , Galarraga Edison Andres , Zambrano-Mila Marlon Steven , Tito Ana Maria , Zapata Nelson David 

TITLE=Sustained COVID-19 community transmission and potential super spreading events at neglected afro-ecuadorian communities assessed by massive RT-qPCR and serological testing of community dwelling population

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2022.933260

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2022.933260

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=Background. Neglected ethnic minorities from underserved rural populations in Latin America are highly vulnerable to COVID-19 due to a poor health infrastructure and limited access to SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis. Esmeraldas is a mainly rural province of the Coastal Region of Ecuador characterized by a high presence of Afro-Ecuadorian population living under poverty conditions.  Objective. We herein present a retrospective analysis of the surveillance SARS-CoV-2 testing in community dwelling population from Esmeraldas carried out by our university laboratory in collaboration with regional health authorities during the first week of October 2020, in a region where no public SARS-CoV-2 detection laboratory was available at that time. Results. A total number of 1,259 people were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-qPCR, resulting in an overall infection rate of 7.7% for SARS-CoV-2, up to 12.1% in some communities. Interestingly, community dwelling super spreaders with viral loads over 108 copies/mL represented 6.2% of the SARS-CoV-2 infected population. Furthermore, anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG serological tests were applied to the same study group, yielding an overall seroprevalence of 11.7% but as high as 24,47% at some communities. Conclusion. These results support recent and active COVID-19 community transmission in Esmeraldas province during the first semester of COVID-19 pandemic as it has been shown for other rural communities in the Ecuadorian Coastal Region.