High prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody in the Xikrin of Bacajá (Kayapó) indigenous population in the brazilian Amazon

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) reached the Brazilian Amazon and spread among indigenous populations. In the present study, we demonstrate a high prevalence of infection among the Xikrin of Bacajá people (Kayapó). A sample of 100 individuals of both sexes (51 men and 49 women) with ages ranging from 2 to 82 years were clinically evaluated and tested for the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody. Among all investigated individuals, 58 were IgG-reactive (58 %) by a rapid test, and 73 (73 %) were reactive in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, with no difference between sexes. Oxygen saturation ranged from 82 to 99 %, with the lowest value observed in a two-year-old girl. The results show that as expected, SARS-CoV-2 infection rapidly reached more than 70 % of the population, most likely because of the difficulties of maintaining social distance due to cultural characteristics. These results highlight the importance of indigenous health policies as a means of minimizing the impact of the pandemic on these communities.