Article ; Online: Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Children and Their Parents in Southwest Germany.
2021 Volume 175, Issue 6, Page(s) 586–593
Abstract: ... The estimated SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was low in parents (1.8% [95% CI, 1.2-2.4%]) and 3-fold lower ... years. Accordingly, it is unlikely that children have boosted the pandemic. This SARS-CoV-2 prevalence ... CoV-2.: Main outcomes and measures: The main outcomes were infection and seroprevalence of SARS-CoV ...
| Abstract | Importance: School and daycare closures were enforced as measures to confine the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, based on the assumption that young children may play a key role in severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spread. Given the grave consequences of contact restrictions for children, a better understanding of their contribution to the COVID-19 pandemic is of great importance. Objective: To describe the rate of SARS-CoV-2 infections and the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in children aged 1 to 10 years, compared with a corresponding parent of each child, in a population-based sample. Design, setting, and participants: This large-scale, multicenter, cross-sectional investigation (the COVID-19 BaWü study) enrolled children aged 1 to 10 years and a corresponding parent between April 22 and May 15, 2020, in southwest Germany. Exposures: Potential exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Main outcomes and measures: The main outcomes were infection and seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2. Participants were tested for SARS-CoV-2 RNA from nasopharyngeal swabs by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG antibodies in serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and immunofluorescence tests. Discordant results were clarified by electrochemiluminescence immunoassays, a second enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, or an in-house Luminex-based assay. Results: This study included 4964 participants: 2482 children (median age, 6 [range, 1-10] years; 1265 boys [51.0%]) and 2482 parents (median age, 40 [range, 23-66] years; 615 men [24.8%]). Two participants (0.04%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. The estimated SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was low in parents (1.8% [95% CI, 1.2-2.4%]) and 3-fold lower in children (0.6% [95% CI, 0.3-1.0%]). Among 56 families with at least 1 child or parent with seropositivity, the combination of a parent with seropositivity and a corresponding child with seronegativity was 4.3 (95% CI, 1.19-15.52) times higher than the combination of a parent who was seronegative and a corresponding child with seropositivity. We observed virus-neutralizing activity for 66 of 70 IgG-positive serum samples (94.3%). Conclusions and relevance: In this cross-sectional study, the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection during a period of lockdown in southwest Germany was particularly low in children aged 1 to 10 years. Accordingly, it is unlikely that children have boosted the pandemic. This SARS-CoV-2 prevalence study, which appears to be the largest focusing on children, is instructive for how ad hoc mass testing provides the basis for rational political decision-making in a pandemic. |
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| MeSH term(s) | Adult ; Age Distribution ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Antibodies, Viral/blood ; COVID-19/blood ; COVID-19/diagnosis ; COVID-19/epidemiology ; COVID-19 Serological Testing ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Germany/epidemiology ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A/blood ; Immunoglobulin G/blood ; Immunoglobulin M/blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Parents ; Prevalence ; SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification ; Seroepidemiologic Studies |
| Chemical Substances | Antibodies, Viral ; Immunoglobulin A ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M |
| Language | English |
| Publishing date | 2021-01-20 |
| Publishing country | United States |
| Document type | Journal Article ; Multicenter Study |
| ZDB-ID | 2701223-2 |
| ISSN | 2168-6211 ; 2168-6203 |
| ISSN (online) | 2168-6211 |
| ISSN | 2168-6203 |
| DOI | 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.0001 |
| Database | MEDical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System OnLINE |
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