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Cross-sectional seroprevalence surveys of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in children in Germany, June 2020 to May 2021

Author

Listed:
  • Anna-Lisa Sorg

    (Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich
    University Children’s Hospital, Eberhard Karls University)

  • Leon Bergfeld

    (Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin)

  • Marietta Jank

    (Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Paediatrics, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University)

  • Victor Corman

    (Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin)

  • Ilia Semmler

    (Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin)

  • Anna Goertz

    (Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Paediatrics, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University)

  • Andreas Beyerlein

    (Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich)

  • Eva Verjans

    (University Hospital RWTH Aachen)

  • Norbert Wagner

    (University Hospital RWTH Aachen)

  • Horst Bernuth

    (Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin)

  • Fabian Lander

    (University Hospital, and Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University (TU) Dresden)

  • Katharina Weil

    (University Hospital, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf)

  • Markus Hufnagel

    (University Medical Centre, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg)

  • Ute Spiekerkoetter

    (University Medical Centre, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg)

  • Cho-Ming Chao

    (University Medical Centre Rostock, Department of Paediatrics, University of Rostock
    Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Centre, German Centre of Lung Research, Department of Paediatrics, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen)

  • Lutz Naehrlich

    (Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Centre, German Centre of Lung Research, Department of Paediatrics, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen)

  • Ania Carolina Muntau

    (University Children’s Hospital, University Medical Centre Hamburg- Eppendorf)

  • Ulf Schulze-Sturm

    (University Children’s Hospital, University Medical Centre Hamburg- Eppendorf)

  • Gesine Hansen

    (Excellence Cluster RESIST, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG))

  • Martin Wetzke

    (Excellence Cluster RESIST, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG))

  • Anna-Maria Jung

    (Saarland University Hospital)

  • Tim Niehues

    (Helios Klinikum Krefeld)

  • Susanne Fricke-Otto

    (Helios Klinikum Krefeld)

  • Ulrich Both
  • Johannes Huebner

    (University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University)

  • Uta Behrends

    (Technical University Munich)

  • Johannes G. Liese

    (University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Department of Paediatrics, Division of Paediatric Infectious Diseases)

  • Christian Schwerk

    (Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Paediatrics, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University)

  • Christian Drosten

    (Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin)

  • Ruediger Kries

    (Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich)

  • Horst Schroten

    (Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Paediatrics, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University)

Abstract

The rate of SARS-CoV-2 infections in children remains unclear due to many asymptomatic cases. We present a study of cross-sectional seroprevalence surveys of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG in 10,358 children recruited in paediatric hospitals across Germany from June 2020 to May 2021. Seropositivity increased from 2.0% (95% CI 1.6, 2.5) to 10.8% (95% CI 8.7, 12.9) in March 2021 with little change up to May 2021. Rates increased by migrant background (2.8%, 4.4% and 7.8% for no, one and two parents born outside Germany). Children under three were initially 3.6 (95% CI 2.3, 5.7) times more likely to be seropositive with levels equalising later. The ratio of seropositive cases per recalled infection decreased from 8.6 to 2.8. Since seropositivity exceeds the rate of recalled infections considerably, serologic testing may provide a more valid estimate of infections, which is required to assess both the spread and the risk for severe outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Suggested Citation

  • Anna-Lisa Sorg & Leon Bergfeld & Marietta Jank & Victor Corman & Ilia Semmler & Anna Goertz & Andreas Beyerlein & Eva Verjans & Norbert Wagner & Horst Bernuth & Fabian Lander & Katharina Weil & Markus, 2022. "Cross-sectional seroprevalence surveys of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in children in Germany, June 2020 to May 2021," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-30482-6
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30482-6
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