tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Public Health
. 2023 Nov 4:225:160-167.
doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2023.10.010. Online ahead of print. High prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies among unvaccinated children of Chandigarh, Northwest India, in a household-based paediatric serosurvey post-second wave of pandemic (June to July 2021)
A Ghosh[SUP] 1 [/SUP], K Goyal[SUP] 1 [/SUP], R Singh[SUP] 2 [/SUP], P V M Lakshmi[SUP] 2 [/SUP], R Kaur[SUP] 1 [/SUP], V Kumar[SUP] 1 [/SUP], J Muralidharan[SUP] 3 [/SUP], G D Puri[SUP] 4 [/SUP], J Ram[SUP] 5 [/SUP], M P Singh[SUP] 6 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Objective: Current national severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination policy covers children aged >12 years. Unvaccinated, uninfected children remain susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 and play a role in community transmission, as paediatric infection is mostly mild or asymptomatic. To estimate the proportion of susceptible children in a community for public health measures, there is a need to assess the extent of natural infection.
Study design: We performed a cross-sectional household serosurvey of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in unvaccinated children aged between 6 and 18 years after the second COVID-19 wave.
Methods: Anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobin G (IgG) testing in serum was done using chemiluminescence immunoassay. We used a logistic regression model to investigate predicted factors of seropositivity.
Results: We observed a high prevalence (weighted average: 68.3%) of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG in 2700 enrolled children. Logistic regression for predictors of IgG seropositivity showed lower odds in households with completely vaccinated adults (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 0.43, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.26-0.71, P = 0.0011) compared with households with unvaccinated adults. Other factors for low seropositivity included frontline workers as family members (adjusted OR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.52-0.91, P = 0.0091) and non-crowded households (adjusted OR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.61-0.89, P = 0.0019).
Conclusion: A high SARS-CoV-2 IgG prevalence in unvaccinated children was indicative of previous exposure to potentially infected contacts. This implies in-person academic activities for children can be continued during future community transmission. Comparatively lower seropositivity in children of completely vaccinated households or frontline workers suggests decreased transmission due to vaccination-induced immunity of family members. Vaccination will still be required in these children to maintain protective IgG levels, particularly in low seroprevalence groups.
Keywords: Chandigarh; India; Paediatrics; SARS-CoV-2; Seroprevalence; Vaccination.
. 2023 Nov 4:225:160-167.
doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2023.10.010. Online ahead of print. High prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies among unvaccinated children of Chandigarh, Northwest India, in a household-based paediatric serosurvey post-second wave of pandemic (June to July 2021)
A Ghosh[SUP] 1 [/SUP], K Goyal[SUP] 1 [/SUP], R Singh[SUP] 2 [/SUP], P V M Lakshmi[SUP] 2 [/SUP], R Kaur[SUP] 1 [/SUP], V Kumar[SUP] 1 [/SUP], J Muralidharan[SUP] 3 [/SUP], G D Puri[SUP] 4 [/SUP], J Ram[SUP] 5 [/SUP], M P Singh[SUP] 6 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 37931485
- DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2023.10.010
Objective: Current national severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination policy covers children aged >12 years. Unvaccinated, uninfected children remain susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 and play a role in community transmission, as paediatric infection is mostly mild or asymptomatic. To estimate the proportion of susceptible children in a community for public health measures, there is a need to assess the extent of natural infection.
Study design: We performed a cross-sectional household serosurvey of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in unvaccinated children aged between 6 and 18 years after the second COVID-19 wave.
Methods: Anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobin G (IgG) testing in serum was done using chemiluminescence immunoassay. We used a logistic regression model to investigate predicted factors of seropositivity.
Results: We observed a high prevalence (weighted average: 68.3%) of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG in 2700 enrolled children. Logistic regression for predictors of IgG seropositivity showed lower odds in households with completely vaccinated adults (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 0.43, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.26-0.71, P = 0.0011) compared with households with unvaccinated adults. Other factors for low seropositivity included frontline workers as family members (adjusted OR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.52-0.91, P = 0.0091) and non-crowded households (adjusted OR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.61-0.89, P = 0.0019).
Conclusion: A high SARS-CoV-2 IgG prevalence in unvaccinated children was indicative of previous exposure to potentially infected contacts. This implies in-person academic activities for children can be continued during future community transmission. Comparatively lower seropositivity in children of completely vaccinated households or frontline workers suggests decreased transmission due to vaccination-induced immunity of family members. Vaccination will still be required in these children to maintain protective IgG levels, particularly in low seroprevalence groups.
Keywords: Chandigarh; India; Paediatrics; SARS-CoV-2; Seroprevalence; Vaccination.