Absence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in pre-pandemic plasma from children and adults in Vietnam

Abstract

We tested pre-pandemic (2015--2019) plasma samples from 148 Vietnamese children and 100 Vietnamese adults at high risk of zoonotic infections for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid and spike proteins. None was positive. The data thus demonstrated no evidence of prior serological cross-reactivity with SARS-CoV-2 that might explain the low numbers of COVID-19 in Vietnam. No pre-existing cross-reactivity might explain Vietnam success of COVID-19 control.

Keywords: COVID-19; Cross-reactivity; SARS-CoV-2; zoonosis.