Attack rate in Manaus: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) incidence peaked in Manaus, Brazil, in May 2020 with a devastating toll on the city's inhabitants, leaving its health services shattered and cemeteries overwhelmed. Buss et al. collected data from blood donors from Manaus and São Paulo, noted when transmission began to fall, and estimated the final attack rates in October 2020 (see the Perspective by Sridhar and Gurdasani). Heterogeneities in immune protection, population structure, poverty, modes of public transport, and uneven adoption of nonpharmaceutical interventions mean that despite a high attack rate, herd immunity may not have been achieved. This unfortunate city has become a sentinel for how natural population immunity could influence future transmission. Events in Manaus reveal what tragedy and harm to society can unfold if this virus is left to run its course. Science , this issue p. 288 ; see also p. 230

SARS-CoV-2 serologic surveys estimate the proportion of the population with antibodies against historical variants, which nears 100% in many settings. New approaches are required to fully exploit serosurvey data. Using a SARS-CoV-2 anti-Spike (S) protein chemiluminescent microparticle assay, we attained a semi-quantitative measurement of population IgG titers in serial cross-sectional monthly samples of blood donations across seven Brazilian state capitals (March 2021–November 2021). Using an ecological analysis, we assessed the contributions of prior attack rate and vaccination to antibody titer. We compared anti-S titer across the seven cities during the growth phase of the Delta variant and used this to predict the resulting age-standardized incidence of severe COVID-19 cases. We tested ~780 samples per month, per location. Seroprevalence rose to >95% across all seven capitals by November 2021. Driven by vaccination, mean antibody titer increased 16-fold over the study, with the greatest increases occurring in cities with the highest prior attack rates. Mean anti-S IgG was strongly correlated (adjusted R2 = 0.89) with the number of severe cases caused by Delta. Semi-quantitative anti-S antibody titers are informative about prior exposure and vaccination coverage and may also indicate the potential impact of future SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Background: The city of Manaus, north Brazil, was stricken by a second epidemic wave of SARS-CoV-2 despite high seroprevalence estimates, coinciding with the emergence of the Gamma (P.1) variant. Reinfections were postulated as a partial explanation for the second surge. However, accurate calculation of reinfection rates is difficult when stringent criteria as two time-separated RT-PCR tests and/or genome sequencing are required. To estimate the proportion of reinfections caused by the Gamma variant during the second wave in Manaus and the protection conferred by previous infection, we analyzed a cohort of repeat blood donors to identify anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody boosting as a means to infer reinfection. Methods: We tested serial blood samples from unvaccinated repeat blood donors in Manaus for the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody. Donors were required to have three or more donations and at least one donation during each epidemic wave. Donors were tested with two assays that display waning in early convalescence, enabling the detection of reinfection-induced boosting. The serial samples were used to divide donors into six groups defined based on the inferred sequence of infection and reinfection with non-Gamma and Gamma variants. Results: From 3,655 repeat blood donors, 238 met all inclusion criteria, and 223 had enough residual sample volume to perform both serological assays. Using a strict serological definition of reinfection, we found 13.6% (95% CI 7.0% - 24.5%) of all presumed Gamma infections that were observed in 2021 were reinfections. If we also include cases of probable or possible reinfections, these percentages increase respectively to 22.7% (95% CI 14.3% - 34.2%) and 39.3% (95% CI 29.5% - 50.0%). Previous infection conferred a protection against reinfection of 85.3% (95% CI 71.3% - 92.7%), decreasing to respectively 72.5% (95% CI 54.7% - 83.6%) and 39.5% (95% CI 14.1% - 57.8%) if probable and possible reinfections are included. Conclusions: Reinfection due to Gamma is common and may play a significant role in epidemics where Gamma is prevalent, highlighting the continued threat variants of concern pose even to settings previously hit by substantial epidemics.

Chagas disease (ChD) remains a significant public health concern in the Americas, with challenges to accurately assessing its mortality burden due to under-reporting and misclassification. This study aimed to analyze mortality patterns of two cohorts of individuals with ChD—one comprising asymptomatic individuals with positive serology (REDS) and another with patients showing Chagas cardiomyopathy (SaMi-Trop)—to propose a method for estimating the potential under-registration of Chagas-related deaths and to find the factors influencing the identification of ChD as the underlying cause of death. We carried out a retrospective analysis of mortality data from these cohorts together with data on the Brazilian Mortality Information System. Causes of death were classified according to ICD-10 codes, and an expert review was used to find possible Chagas-related deaths. Logistic regression was used to explore predictors of ChD identification considering demographic and clinical variables. Of 2,488 patients, 381 died, 28.9% attributed to ChD, predominantly chronic ChD with cardiac involvement (B57.2). Using our method, we estimated a 53.8% potential under-registration rate for possible Chagas deaths. Males were negatively associated with Chagas disease identification, with an odds ratio of 0.52 (95%CI 0.24–1.1). No other significant associations were found, and the overall significance of the model was low. Our findings provide a potential measurement of under-registration, indicating that it may be substantial. These results underscore the need for improved identification and accurate reporting on death certificates. Strengthening the quality of mortality data is essential to understand Chagas-related mortality and guide public health strategies to reduce its impact.

There are large differences in the shape and size of regional SARS-CoV-2 epidemics in Brazil. Here we tested monthly blood donation samples for IgG antibodies from March 2020 to March 2021 in eight of Brazil’s most populous cities. There was large variation in the inferred attack rate adjusted for seroreversion across cities, and seroprevalence was consistently smaller in women and donors older than 55 years. The age-specific infection fatality rate differed between cities and consistently increased with age. The infection hospitalisation rate (IHR) increased significantly during the gamma-dominated second wave in Manaus, suggesting increased morbidity of the Gamma VOC compared to previous variants circulating in Manaus. The higher disease penetrance associated with the health system’s collapse increased the overall IFR by a minimum factor of 2.91 (95% CrI 2.43–3.53). These results demonstrate large heterogeneity in epidemic spread and highlight the utility of blood donor serosurveillance to monitor SARS-CoV-2 epidemics.