Overview of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in households based on a population-based serological survey

Bi Q, Lessler, J, Eckerle I, Lauer SA, Kaiser L, Vuilleumier N, Cummings DAT, Flahault A, Petrovic D, Guessous I, Stringhini S, Azman AS, SEROCoV-POP Study Group.
Insights into household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from a population-based serological survey. Nature communications, 2021 Jun 15;12(1):3643. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-23733-5.

Abstract: Understanding the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection resulting from household and community exposures and the transmissibility of asymptomatic infections is essential for pandemic control. Current evidence is based mainly on virological tests, which do not identify all asymptomatic infections. Serological tests are more likely to account for all past infections. We used data from a serological survey conducted between April and June 2020 in Geneva among 4,534 people aged over 5 (from 2,267 households). Applying transmission models within households, we found that the risk of infection due to exposure to a single infected household member aged over 5 years (17.3%, confidence interval: 13.7-21.7) was more than three times higher than the risk of infection due to exposures outside the household during the first pandemic wave (5.1%, confidence interval: 4.5-5.8). We also observed that young children had a lower risk of infection from household members. Adults of working age had the highest risk of infection outside the household.

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