PONE-D-22-06158Sero-surveillance for IgG to SARS-CoV-2 at antenatal care clinics in three Kenyan referral hospitals: repeated cross-sectional surveys 2020-21PLOS ONE

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A.A. is funded by a DFID/MRC/NIHR/Wellcome Trust Joint Global Health Trials Award (MR/R006083/1), J.A.G.S. is funded by a Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellowship (214320) and the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Immunisation, I.M.O.A. is funded by the United Kingdom’s Medical Research Council and Department For International Development through an African Research Leader Fellowship (MR/S005293/1) and by the NIHR-MPRU at UCL (grant 2268427 LSHTM). G.M.W. is supported by a fellowship from the Oak Foundation. C.N.A. is funded by the DELTAS Africa Initiative [DEL-15-003], and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Wellcome (220985/Z/20/Z). S.U. is funded by DELTAS Africa Initiative [DEL-15-003], L.I.O.-O. is funded by a Wellcome Trust Intermediate Fellowship (107568/Z/15/Z). R.A is funded by National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) (project reference 17/63/82) using UK aid from the UK Government to support global health research.

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Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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5. Review Comments to the Author

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Reviewer #1: This is a succint report of seropositivity to SARS-CoV-2 in Kenya. Well executed and well presented. My major comment is that the infection with the virus, as evidenced by the presence of antibodies in blood samples, is considered the prevalence of the disease. Many patients were asymptomatic, in some the antibodies could be effective at fighting infection and thus preventing any symptoms. This comment is not directed specifically at the Authors, but refers to the general confusion of the disease with the infection by its causative agent. Infection does not mean disease (presence of disrupted organismal homeostasis).

In the "Discussion" the Authors repeat details of the results unnecessarily. The last sentence of the Discussion (lines 319-320) is insightful.

As a South African who lived through the years of the downfall of the apartheid, I found the use of the acronym ANC confusing (African National Congress) and the other acronyms interferring with understanding of the text. Thre is no list of abbreviations, but I would encourage Authors to avoid the use of acronyms in a publication on-line whose cost is not affected by the number of words, or characters, used in the text.

Reviewer #2: The authors of this manuscript, entitled “Sero-surveillance for IgG to SARS-CoV-2 at antenatal care clinics in three Kenyan referral hospitals: repeated cross-sectional surveys 2020-21”, presented a cross-sectional study aimed at assessing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Kenya. The manuscript fits the aim of “PLOS ONE,” which publishes papers and research in the area of the natural sciences, medical research, engineering, and the related social sciences and humanities.

The title, as well as the abstract, are informative; nevertheless, the study’s aim has not been clearly described and needs to be elucidated in more detail,

Introduction requires a deeper contextualization of SARS-CoV-2 infection

Finally, the text should be written in a scientific style containing passive voice and 3rd person.

Moreover, check the references list and the references cited in the text. Please review them for completeness and errors and note that according to PLOS ONE, the references must be cited in the Vancouver style.

Therefore, I strongly recommend accepting the manuscript after minor revision.

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Reviewer #1: Yes: Maciej Henneberg

Reviewer #2: No

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Attachments

Attachment

Submitted filename: Reviewer comments on PONE-D-22-06158.docx

Sero-surveillance for IgG to SARS-CoV-2 at antenatal care clinics in three Kenyan referral hospitals: repeated cross-sectional surveys 2020-21

PONE-D-22-06158R1

Dear Dr. Gallagher, 

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

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Gheyath K. Nasrallah

Academic Editor

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