The implementation of strategies to mitigate possible cases of COVID-19 were addressed at the University of Alicante for the safe reopening of the 2020/2021 academic year. To discover the prevalence of immunity against SARS-CoV-2, a study was designed using a rapid immunoassay test (carried out between 6 and 22 July 2020), and in addition a cross-sectional survey was conducted on risk factors, symptoms, predisposition for becoming vaccinated, and sources of information about COVID-19. A random sample, stratified by students, faculty, and administrative staff, was selected. The seroprevalence found was 2.64% (39/1479; 95% CI 1.8–3.4), and the adjusted seroprevalence was 2.89% (95% CI 2.1–3.7). The average age of the students was 23.2 years old, and 47.6 years old for staff. In relation to COVID-19, the following was found: 17.7% pauci-symptomatic, 1.3% symptomatic, 5.5% contact with cases, 4.9% confined, and 0.3% PCR positive. More than 90% complied with preventive measures. The proportion willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine was 91%. Their sources of information were the Internet (74%) and television (70.1%). They requested that the university offer information (45.1%), training (27%), and provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (26.3%). Lastly, 87.9% would repeat the test. A plan was established that included the follow-up of cases and contacts, random sample testing, training courses, bimodal teaching, a specific website, and the distribution of PPE.

The presence of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against SARS-CoV-2 represent a surrogate marker of immunologic protection in populations at high risk of infection such as healthcare workers caring for hospitalized patients with COVID-19. As recommended by CDC and the European CDC, the use of rapid diagnostic tests during population-based evaluations offers an opportunity to identify individuals with serologic evidence of natural infection or who have undergone vaccination. We carried out a cross-sectional study to assess the presence of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 among medical providers at an intensive care unit of a large referral hospital in Alicante, Spain. In addition, we tested for the presence of neutralizing antibodies compared to serum of uninfected individuals from a Biobank. We were also interested in evaluating the use of a rapid lateral flow immunochromatography (LFIC) test against a surrogate ELISA viral neutralization test (sVNT). This rapid test demonstrated a specificity of 1.000 95% CI (0.91–1.00) and the sensitivity of 0.987 95% CI (0.93–1.00). The negative predictive value was 95%. After six months, this rapid test demonstrated that those immunized with two doses of BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine, maintained optimal levels of neutralizing antibodies. We concluded that all Health Care Workers develop NAbs and the use of this rapid immunochromatographic test represents a potential tool to be used in population-based studies to detect serological antibody responses to vaccination. Vaccination policies could benefit from this tool to assess additional doses of vaccine or boosters among high-risk populations.

The primary immunization against SARS-CoV-2 has yielded protection rates of up to 95%. The evolution of the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 towards emerging variants which have higher transmissibility, severity of disease and greater viral escape, have promoted the necessity of vaccine booster doses. The third dose of the vaccine provides protection, but its long-term durability remains uncertain. Our aim was to know the vaccine coverage at the University of Alicante (UA) after one year of administration of vaccine booster doses through the detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies with a rapid serological test. A cross-sectional study was carried out on the prevalence of antibodies against Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 using a serological test based on lateral flow immunochromatography. We applied a logistic regression to the available variables by the statistics program SPSS 29.0. 565 subjects were tested, 70.1% were women and the average age was 48.2 years old. 93.5% of the tests performed indicated the presence of Spike-protein antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. The time since the last exposure to the viral antigens, whether via vaccination or via infection, revealed an increase in the odds of returning a negative result for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Our results reinforce the temporary nature of the protection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and the need for booster doses, supporting the continuity of vaccinations.

Background: Confinement conditions in prison communities are associated with increased susceptibility to infectious outbreaks. The COVID-19 pandemic has been characterized by high transmissibility and clinical severity resulting in a high number of infections and deaths worldwide. Vaccination has been a crucial tool in mitigating its devastating effects. The aim of this study is to asses the prevalence of antibodies against the Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 in vaccinated prisoners and staff at a specific prison in Alicante.Methods: A cross-sectional epidemiological study was designed for the population in scope using a rapid lateral flow immunochromatography serological test, conducted on July 27, 2023. Demographic and clinical variables were collected through a questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS 29.0 software.Results: A total of 560 people participated in the study; the predominant profile was men (77.3%) with an average age of 45.7 years. 71.4% of subjects were prisoners and 28.6% were prison staff. Regarding the detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies obtained through serological test, 60.9% of the sample gave a positive result. 69.1% of participants received the last dose in 2022 or later and 62.2% received booster doses. The vaccines administered in the last dose were Biontech/Pfizer and Moderna in 88.6% of the cases. 59.5% of sample had suffered from COVID-19 and 67.0% did not have any clinical comorbidity. In the regression analysis, it was observed that the variables with a stronger statistical relationship with presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were: the number of years since last vaccine dose was received (aOR: 0.08; 95%CI: 0.05; 0.16) the number of vaccine doses received (aOR: 4.8; 95%CI: 2.9; 8.0) and presenting any comorbidity (aOR: 4.3; 95%CI: 2.4; 8.0). The staff received more booster doses and obtained a better response to seropositivity, with 72.5% of anti-SARS-CoV-2 result positive while prisoners reached 56.3%.Conclusion: The COVID-19 vaccination status within the prison community following the initiation of primary immunization and subsequent booster doses, shows a low immunization coverage (60.9%), which is below expectations given the immunization strategies implemented since the start of the pandemic. There are notable differences in vaccination rates between prison staff and prisoners. These disparities are concerning, and authorities responsible for prison public health should take a more proactive approach to ensuring vaccination among prisoners.