Conclusion
Approximately one in ten individuals in the regional capitals of
Cameroon had been infected with SARS-CoV-2 by December 2020, indicating
extensive and under-reported circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in the country,
with almost 100-fold more cases across Cameroon as compared to the
number of cases reported to the WHO. This finding highlights the
importance of conducting seroprevalence surveys especially in places
where access to testing may be limited and repeating such surveys as
part of tracking the trajectory of the pandemic.
Seroprevalence surveys, if conducted using accurate testing algorithms,
can capture a fuller burden of infection in a population, allowing
public health officials to decide on an effective pandemic response and
identify subgroups at higher risk for infection. With the availability
of home-testing and more mild disease, reported numbers of infections
will become less reliable and national seroprevalence surveys will
become more important to understand disease burden and geographical
impacts on a population.