ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Systematic screening for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 is a crucial tool for surveillance of the COVID-19 pandemic. The University of Salamanca (USAL) in Spain designed a project called "DIANCUSAL" (Diagnosis of New Coronavirus, COVID-19, in University of Salamanca) to measure antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 among its ~34,000 students and academic staff, as the influence of the university community in the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in the city of Salamanca and neighboring towns hosting USAL campuses could be substantial. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among USAL students, professors and staff and to evaluate the demographic, academic, clinical and lifestyle and behavioral factors related to seropositivity. METHODOLOGY: The DIANCUSAL study is an ongoing university population-based cross-sectional study, with the work described herein conducted from July-October 2020. All USAL students, professors and staff were invited to complete an anonymized questionnaire. Seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was detected and quantified by using chemiluminescent assays for IgG and IgM. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A total of 8197 (24.71%) participants were included. The mean age was 31.4 (14.5 SD) years, and 66.0% of the participants were female. The seroprevalence was 8.25% overall and was highest for students from the education campus (12.5%) and professors from the biomedical campus (12.6%), with significant differences among faculties (p = 0.006). Based on the questionnaire, loss of smell and fever were the symptoms most strongly associated with seropositivity, and 22.6% of seropositive participants were asymptomatic. Social distancing was the most effective hygiene measure (p = 0.0007). There were significant differences in seroprevalence between participants with and without household exposure to SARS-CoV-2 (p = 0.0000), but not between students who lived in private homes and those who lived in dormitories. IgG antibodies decreased over time in the participants with confirmed self-reported COVID-19 diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis revealed an overall 8.25% seroprevalence at the end of October 2020, with a higher seroprevalence in students than in staff. Thus, there is no need for tailored measures for the USAL community as the official average seroprevalence in the area was similar (7.8% at 22 June and 12.4 at 15 November of 2020). Instead, USAL members should comply with public health measures.
ABSTRACT
The ability of the human visual system to detect stimuli at low illumination levels provides awareness of potential risks. The influence of age and spectral power distribution on mesopic spectral sensitivity is analyzed. Two typical light sources are used, a high-pressure sodium lamp (HPS), with a higher content of long wavelengths, and a metal halide lamp (MH), with a higher content of short wavelengths. Two experiments were performed, using a two-channel Maxwellian-view optical system to measure contrast threshold under different experimental conditions. In Experiment 1, three age groups (young, middle-aged and old, n = 2 each), two retinal locations (on-axis and off-axis vision), four background luminances (0.01, 0.07, 0.45, and 3.2 cd/m2), and two photometry systems (photopic and the MES2 systems) were considered. In Experiment 2, contrast threshold measurement was performed with two age groups (young and old, n = 11 each), one retinal location (off-axis vision), one background luminance (0.01 cd/m2), and two photometry systems (photopic and the MES2 systems). In on-axis vision, neither age nor spectral power distribution have an effect on the contrast threshold. In off-axis vision, however, a significant interaction between age and spectral power distribution is obtained, albeit only at 0.01 cd/m2 with an MH lamp. Only at this lowest background luminance was the greater content of short wavelengths of this lamp responsible for higher rod stimulation in off-axis vision, with the subsequent improvement in detection performance in young subjects. However, the effect of diffused light inside the aged eye counteracted the benefits of increased rod sensitivity for the MH lamp.
