tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc
. 2022 Mar 16;piac010.
doi: 10.1093/jpids/piac010. Online ahead of print.
Pediatric SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence in Arkansas Over the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Karl W Boehme[SUP] 1 2 3 [/SUP], Joshua L Kennedy[SUP] 4 5 6 [/SUP], Jessica Snowden[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Shana M Owens[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Marianne Kouassi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ryan L Mann[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Amairani Paredes[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Claire Putt[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Laura James[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Jing Jin[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Ruofei Du[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Catherine Kirkpatrick[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Zeel Modi[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Katherine Caid[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Sean Young[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Namvar Zohoori[SUP] 8 9 [/SUP], Atul Kothari[SUP] 5 9 10 [/SUP], Bobby L Boyanton[SUP] 11 [/SUP], J Craig Forrest[SUP] 1 2 3 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) seroprevalence studies largely focus on adults, but little is known about spread in children. We determined SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in children and adolescents from Arkansas over the first year of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Methods: We tested remnant serum samples from children ages 1-18 years who visited Arkansas hospitals or clinics for non-COVID-19-related reasons from April 2020 through April 2021 for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. We used univariable and multivariable regression models to determine the association between seropositivity and participant characteristics.
Results: Among 2357 participants, seroprevalence rose from 7.9% in April/May 2020 (95% CI, 4.9-10.9) to 25.0% in April 2021 (95% CI, 21.5-28.5). Hispanic and black children had a higher association with antibody positivity than non-Hispanic and white children, respectively, in multiple sampling periods.
Conclusions: By spring 2021, most children in Arkansas were not infected with SARS-CoV-2. With the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants, recognition of long-term effects of COVID-19, and the lack of an authorized pediatric SARS-CoV-2 vaccine at the time, these results highlight the importance of including children in SARS-CoV-2 public health, clinical care, and research strategies.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; antibody; child; children; coronavirus; epidemiology; ethnic disparity; racial disparity; serology; serum.
. 2022 Mar 16;piac010.
doi: 10.1093/jpids/piac010. Online ahead of print.
Pediatric SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence in Arkansas Over the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Karl W Boehme[SUP] 1 2 3 [/SUP], Joshua L Kennedy[SUP] 4 5 6 [/SUP], Jessica Snowden[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Shana M Owens[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Marianne Kouassi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ryan L Mann[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Amairani Paredes[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Claire Putt[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Laura James[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Jing Jin[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Ruofei Du[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Catherine Kirkpatrick[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Zeel Modi[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Katherine Caid[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Sean Young[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Namvar Zohoori[SUP] 8 9 [/SUP], Atul Kothari[SUP] 5 9 10 [/SUP], Bobby L Boyanton[SUP] 11 [/SUP], J Craig Forrest[SUP] 1 2 3 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 35294550
- DOI: 10.1093/jpids/piac010
Abstract
Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) seroprevalence studies largely focus on adults, but little is known about spread in children. We determined SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in children and adolescents from Arkansas over the first year of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Methods: We tested remnant serum samples from children ages 1-18 years who visited Arkansas hospitals or clinics for non-COVID-19-related reasons from April 2020 through April 2021 for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. We used univariable and multivariable regression models to determine the association between seropositivity and participant characteristics.
Results: Among 2357 participants, seroprevalence rose from 7.9% in April/May 2020 (95% CI, 4.9-10.9) to 25.0% in April 2021 (95% CI, 21.5-28.5). Hispanic and black children had a higher association with antibody positivity than non-Hispanic and white children, respectively, in multiple sampling periods.
Conclusions: By spring 2021, most children in Arkansas were not infected with SARS-CoV-2. With the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants, recognition of long-term effects of COVID-19, and the lack of an authorized pediatric SARS-CoV-2 vaccine at the time, these results highlight the importance of including children in SARS-CoV-2 public health, clinical care, and research strategies.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; antibody; child; children; coronavirus; epidemiology; ethnic disparity; racial disparity; serology; serum.