What factors converged to create a COVID-19 hot-spot? Lessons from the South Asian community in Ontario

Abstract Background South Asians represent the largest non-white ethnic group in Canada. The Greater Toronto Area (GTA), home to a high proportion of South Asians, emerged as a COVID-19 hot spot. Early in the pandemic, the South Asian community was identified as having risk factors for exposure and specific barriers to accessing testing and reliable health information, rendering them uniquely vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Objectives To investigate the burden of SARS-CoV-2 infection among South Asians in the GTA, and to determine which demographic characteristics were most closely aligned with seropositivity, in this cross-sectional analysis of a prospective cohort study. Methods Participants from the GTA were enrolled between April and July 2021. Seropositivity for anti-spike and anti-nucleocapsid antibodies was determined from dried blood spots, and age and sex standardized to the Ontario South Asian population. Demographics, risk perceptions, and sources of COVID-19 information were collected via questionnaire in a subset. Results Among the 916 South Asians enrolled, mean age 41 years, the age and sex standardized seropositivity was 23.6% (95% CI: 20.8%-26.4%). Approximately one-third identified as essential workers, and 19% reported living in a multi-generational household. Over half perceived high COVID-19 risk due to their geographic location, and 36% due to their type of employment. The top three most trusted sources of COVID-related information included healthcare providers/public health, traditional media sources, and social media. Conclusion By the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately one-quarter of a sample of South Asians in Ontario had serologic evidence of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. Insight into factors that render certain populations at risk can help future pandemic planning and disease control efforts.