About

In March 2021, the National Serological Panel developed a new Longitudinal COVID-19 Serological Panel to assess the evolution of the percentage of the population that has antibodies for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The new study included 3000 of the volunteers that participated in the first study who had a negative serological result. The participants, randomly selected, constitute a sample that follows the distribution of the Portuguese population by age group and population density. Characteristics such as gender, education level, and household size were also considered. In addition, all participants who had a positive serological result in the previous study were also invited for a new serological evaluation.

This study was promoted by the Instituto de Medicina Molecular (iMM) and financed by the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Society (SFMS) and the Jerónimo Martins Group, counting, once again, with the collaboration of the Germano de Sousa Laboratory Medicine Center and its network of testing points across the country.

The COVID-19 Longitudinal Serological Panel occurred between the 1st and 17th of March 2021 in mainland Portugal and islands. The provisional results estimate the seropositivity of the Portuguese population to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, globally, by region, and by age group, through the proportion of the studied population that, by serological determination, developed antibodies against the virus. These results allow for the estimation of the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as the percentage of individuals with antibodies for COVID-19, including infected and vaccinated people.

Monitoring the impact of the COVID-19 infection allows for the elaboration of a structured response based on scientific knowledge, gaining a global and in-depth view of the pandemic in Portugal.

Learn more about the National COVID-19 Serological Panel here.