Estimating SARS-CoV-2 infection incidence and detection rates: Demonstrating a novel surveillance method

<h3>Objectives</h3><p dir="ltr">Assessing the cumulative incidence of infection conventionally relies on documented infections or serological surveys, both of which have limitations. This study introduces a novel and practical method leveraging testing variation in a popu...

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Main Author: Houssein H. Ayoub (9262512) (author)
Other Authors: Hiam Chemaitelly (439114) (author), Patrick Tang (239534) (author), Mohammad R. Hasan (13777597) (author), Hadi M. Yassine (4675846) (author), Asmaa A. Al Thani (10494576) (author), Peter Coyle (787159) (author), Zaina Al-Kanaani (4557205) (author), Einas Al-Kuwari (13777606) (author), Anvar Hassan Kaleeckal (11847034) (author), Ali Nizar Latif (11570540) (author), Hanan F. Abdul-Rahim (13777600) (author), Gheyath K. Nasrallah (9200525) (author), Mohamed Ghaith Al-Kuwari (4264192) (author), Adeel A. Butt (3697705) (author), Hamad Eid Al-Romaihi (6837251) (author), Mohamed H. Al-Thani (11847049) (author), Abdullatif Al-Khal (11721410) (author), Roberto Bertollini (9538620) (author), Laith J. Abu-Raddad (9262524) (author)
Published: 2025
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author Houssein H. Ayoub (9262512)
author2 Hiam Chemaitelly (439114)
Patrick Tang (239534)
Mohammad R. Hasan (13777597)
Hadi M. Yassine (4675846)
Asmaa A. Al Thani (10494576)
Peter Coyle (787159)
Zaina Al-Kanaani (4557205)
Einas Al-Kuwari (13777606)
Anvar Hassan Kaleeckal (11847034)
Ali Nizar Latif (11570540)
Hanan F. Abdul-Rahim (13777600)
Gheyath K. Nasrallah (9200525)
Mohamed Ghaith Al-Kuwari (4264192)
Adeel A. Butt (3697705)
Hamad Eid Al-Romaihi (6837251)
Mohamed H. Al-Thani (11847049)
Abdullatif Al-Khal (11721410)
Roberto Bertollini (9538620)
Laith J. Abu-Raddad (9262524)
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author_facet Houssein H. Ayoub (9262512)
Hiam Chemaitelly (439114)
Patrick Tang (239534)
Mohammad R. Hasan (13777597)
Hadi M. Yassine (4675846)
Asmaa A. Al Thani (10494576)
Peter Coyle (787159)
Zaina Al-Kanaani (4557205)
Einas Al-Kuwari (13777606)
Anvar Hassan Kaleeckal (11847034)
Ali Nizar Latif (11570540)
Hanan F. Abdul-Rahim (13777600)
Gheyath K. Nasrallah (9200525)
Mohamed Ghaith Al-Kuwari (4264192)
Adeel A. Butt (3697705)
Hamad Eid Al-Romaihi (6837251)
Mohamed H. Al-Thani (11847049)
Abdullatif Al-Khal (11721410)
Roberto Bertollini (9538620)
Laith J. Abu-Raddad (9262524)
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Houssein H. Ayoub (9262512)
Hiam Chemaitelly (439114)
Patrick Tang (239534)
Mohammad R. Hasan (13777597)
Hadi M. Yassine (4675846)
Asmaa A. Al Thani (10494576)
Peter Coyle (787159)
Zaina Al-Kanaani (4557205)
Einas Al-Kuwari (13777606)
Anvar Hassan Kaleeckal (11847034)
Ali Nizar Latif (11570540)
Hanan F. Abdul-Rahim (13777600)
Gheyath K. Nasrallah (9200525)
Mohamed Ghaith Al-Kuwari (4264192)
Adeel A. Butt (3697705)
Hamad Eid Al-Romaihi (6837251)
Mohamed H. Al-Thani (11847049)
Abdullatif Al-Khal (11721410)
Roberto Bertollini (9538620)
Laith J. Abu-Raddad (9262524)
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025-10-29T15:00:00Z
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv 10.1016/j.puhe.2025.106016
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Estimating_SARS-CoV-2_infection_incidence_and_detection_rates_Demonstrating_a_novel_surveillance_method/30539987
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv CC BY 4.0
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Health sciences
Epidemiology
Public health
Mathematical sciences
Applied mathematics
Statistics
Incidence
Detection rate
Surveillance
Mathematical model
SARS-CoV-2
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Estimating SARS-CoV-2 infection incidence and detection rates: Demonstrating a novel surveillance method
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Text
Journal contribution
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
text
contribution to journal
description <h3>Objectives</h3><p dir="ltr">Assessing the cumulative incidence of infection conventionally relies on documented infections or serological surveys, both of which have limitations. This study introduces a novel and practical method leveraging testing variation in a population to estimate SARS-CoV-2 infection rates in the population of Qatar. </p><h3>Study design</h3><p dir="ltr">Cohort study and mathematical modeling. </p><h3>Methods</h3><p dir="ltr">A cohort study was conducted from February 28, 2020, to March 04, 2024, to derive testing rates and estimate cumulative incidence of documented infection and hazard rates of documented infection in different testing groups. A deterministic mathematical model, applied to the cohort study data, was employed to simulate infection transmission, testing and infection documentation, and estimate the cumulative incidence of documented and undocumented infections, along with the infection detection rate. </p><h3>Results</h3><p dir="ltr">At the conclusion of the pre-Omicron phase, the model-estimated cumulative incidence of documented infection, undocumented infection, and all infections was 9.8 %, 29.7 %, and 39.5 %, respectively. By the end of the first-Omicron wave, cumulatively from the onset of the pandemic, these figures rose to 16.9 %, 56.3 %, and 73.2 %, and in the post-first Omicron phase, to 18.8 %, 77.9 %, and 96.7 %, respectively. The infection detection rate in the population was 24.9 %, 21.0 %, and 9.1 % in each of the pre-Omicron phase, first-Omicron wave, and post-first Omicron phase, respectively. Uncertainty and sensitivity analyses confirmed these results. </p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p dir="ltr">Leveraging readily available testing data, the introduced method was validated in a real-world setting and has the potential for diverse applications to enhance infectious disease surveillance for both emerging and endemic infections.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Public Health<br>License: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2025.106016" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2025.106016</a></p><p dir="ltr">Other institutions affiliated with: College of Health and Life Sciences - Hamad Bin Khalifa University</p>
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
id Manara2_33a3646d003a382ab4a01ffedafff746
identifier_str_mv 10.1016/j.puhe.2025.106016
network_acronym_str Manara2
network_name_str Manara2
oai_identifier_str oai:figshare.com:article/30539987
publishDate 2025
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rights_invalid_str_mv CC BY 4.0
spelling Estimating SARS-CoV-2 infection incidence and detection rates: Demonstrating a novel surveillance methodHoussein H. Ayoub (9262512)Hiam Chemaitelly (439114)Patrick Tang (239534)Mohammad R. Hasan (13777597)Hadi M. Yassine (4675846)Asmaa A. Al Thani (10494576)Peter Coyle (787159)Zaina Al-Kanaani (4557205)Einas Al-Kuwari (13777606)Anvar Hassan Kaleeckal (11847034)Ali Nizar Latif (11570540)Hanan F. Abdul-Rahim (13777600)Gheyath K. Nasrallah (9200525)Mohamed Ghaith Al-Kuwari (4264192)Adeel A. Butt (3697705)Hamad Eid Al-Romaihi (6837251)Mohamed H. Al-Thani (11847049)Abdullatif Al-Khal (11721410)Roberto Bertollini (9538620)Laith J. Abu-Raddad (9262524)Health sciencesEpidemiologyPublic healthMathematical sciencesApplied mathematicsStatisticsIncidenceDetection rateSurveillanceMathematical modelSARS-CoV-2<h3>Objectives</h3><p dir="ltr">Assessing the cumulative incidence of infection conventionally relies on documented infections or serological surveys, both of which have limitations. This study introduces a novel and practical method leveraging testing variation in a population to estimate SARS-CoV-2 infection rates in the population of Qatar. </p><h3>Study design</h3><p dir="ltr">Cohort study and mathematical modeling. </p><h3>Methods</h3><p dir="ltr">A cohort study was conducted from February 28, 2020, to March 04, 2024, to derive testing rates and estimate cumulative incidence of documented infection and hazard rates of documented infection in different testing groups. A deterministic mathematical model, applied to the cohort study data, was employed to simulate infection transmission, testing and infection documentation, and estimate the cumulative incidence of documented and undocumented infections, along with the infection detection rate. </p><h3>Results</h3><p dir="ltr">At the conclusion of the pre-Omicron phase, the model-estimated cumulative incidence of documented infection, undocumented infection, and all infections was 9.8 %, 29.7 %, and 39.5 %, respectively. By the end of the first-Omicron wave, cumulatively from the onset of the pandemic, these figures rose to 16.9 %, 56.3 %, and 73.2 %, and in the post-first Omicron phase, to 18.8 %, 77.9 %, and 96.7 %, respectively. The infection detection rate in the population was 24.9 %, 21.0 %, and 9.1 % in each of the pre-Omicron phase, first-Omicron wave, and post-first Omicron phase, respectively. Uncertainty and sensitivity analyses confirmed these results. </p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p dir="ltr">Leveraging readily available testing data, the introduced method was validated in a real-world setting and has the potential for diverse applications to enhance infectious disease surveillance for both emerging and endemic infections.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Public Health<br>License: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2025.106016" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2025.106016</a></p><p dir="ltr">Other institutions affiliated with: College of Health and Life Sciences - Hamad Bin Khalifa University</p>2025-10-29T15:00:00ZTextJournal contributioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontextcontribution to journal10.1016/j.puhe.2025.106016https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Estimating_SARS-CoV-2_infection_incidence_and_detection_rates_Demonstrating_a_novel_surveillance_method/30539987CC BY 4.0info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:figshare.com:article/305399872025-10-29T15:00:00Z
spellingShingle Estimating SARS-CoV-2 infection incidence and detection rates: Demonstrating a novel surveillance method
Houssein H. Ayoub (9262512)
Health sciences
Epidemiology
Public health
Mathematical sciences
Applied mathematics
Statistics
Incidence
Detection rate
Surveillance
Mathematical model
SARS-CoV-2
status_str publishedVersion
title Estimating SARS-CoV-2 infection incidence and detection rates: Demonstrating a novel surveillance method
title_full Estimating SARS-CoV-2 infection incidence and detection rates: Demonstrating a novel surveillance method
title_fullStr Estimating SARS-CoV-2 infection incidence and detection rates: Demonstrating a novel surveillance method
title_full_unstemmed Estimating SARS-CoV-2 infection incidence and detection rates: Demonstrating a novel surveillance method
title_short Estimating SARS-CoV-2 infection incidence and detection rates: Demonstrating a novel surveillance method
title_sort Estimating SARS-CoV-2 infection incidence and detection rates: Demonstrating a novel surveillance method
topic Health sciences
Epidemiology
Public health
Mathematical sciences
Applied mathematics
Statistics
Incidence
Detection rate
Surveillance
Mathematical model
SARS-CoV-2