ABSTRACT

COVID-19 affected different countries in different ways. Palestine had recorded over 140,000 cases by the end of 2020. The WHO/PNIPH, WHO/EMRO, and the Palestinian MoH carried out a serological survey in Palestine in order to estimate the actual number of COVID-19 infections up to the end of December 2020. A sample stratified by region, district, residence area (urban, rural, and refugee camp), and accounting for gender, was taken from Gaza and the West Bank. Data from participants were also collected, including demographic, socio-economic, and health conditions. The results show that 39% of the Palestinian population (38% of the West Bank and 40% of Gaza) had been infected with COVID-19 by the end of December, almost 10 times the number detected by targeted Rt-PCR testing. Several factors were calculated to be significant such as diabetes, smoking, gender, age, and residence.

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

 The P values in green are below 0.05, which makes the result statistically significant; red is not statistically significant. In binary comparisons (when comparing two numbers), the odds were calculated, meaning how much more likely the presence of seropositivity is if the condition is satisfied. For example, those who were previously diagnosed as COVID-19 positive using Rt PCR were 2.5 times as likely to be seropositive than those who were not diagnosed.

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