The World Health Organization has initiated the Solidarity II Program to ascertain the prevalence rate of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 virus, the causal agent of COVID-19.  The program will be coordinated by Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, of the WHO.  The Executive Director for Health Emergencies for the WHO, Dr. Michael Ryan, stated that serologic testing will determine the prevalence and mortality rates for COVID-19 in different age groups. Data will be used to guide policy makers on shutdowns and quarantines.  A shortage of COVID-19 antigen test kits has obscured the true prevalence of the infection, which in all probability far exceeds the 1.3 million diagnosed cases worldwide through April 7th.

A serologic survey will be conducted among 5,500 residents of Santa Clara County, in California by Stanford University.  A similar study will be conducted in Heinsberg, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, regarded as a town with a high prevalence rate following a carnival celebration in late February.

Serologic results from children and adolescents will provide information on their role as possible asymptomatic transmitters, since preliminary epidemiologic data suggests that children are relatively unaffected clinically by COVID-19, compared to the elderly possibly resulting in underdiagnosis.