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Ammon News - The Ministry of Health on Sunday kicked off the third phase of a seroprevalence study to learn more about the percentage of people in the Kingdom who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

The study aims to identify people in a population who have antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and provide information about previous infections in people who had no symptoms, according to Secretary-General of Primary Health Care Administration Ghazi Sharkas.

The study, which is supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), will be conducted by 19 dedicated teams across the Kingdom and is expected to include a sample population of 5,000 individuals, he said.

The study will basically use serology testing (antibody testing) for surveillance ("seroprevalence surveys" or "serosurveys"), and will produce age and gender-specific data, Sharkas further explained.

He described the study as the first of its kind in the Middle East, and said it is one of a number of COVID-related surveys that will be carried out by the ministry’s staff in cooperation with the WHO.

Sharkas noted that two other studies are currently underway; one aimed at identifying the spread of the virus among households and their contacts, while the second seeks to assess COVID risk factors among medical staff.