Children may escape 3rd Covid-19 wave impact, study finds high sero-positivity among minors

A study by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) has found high sero-positivity among children. The interim findings of the study put to ease concerns about a possible third wave of Covid-19 infections affecting children more than other age groups.

Sero-positivity refers to the body's ability to mount a natural immune response to viruses.

The study, conducted in five states with a sample size of 10,000, was approved by the Institutional ethics committee of AIIMS (New Delhi) and other participating institutions. Out of 4,509 participants for whom data is available, 700 were less than 18 years of age and 3,809 were aged 18.

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"The median age of the analysed participants were 11 years, 12 years, 11 years, 13 years, and 14 years for the site of Delhi urban, Delhi rural, Bhubaneswar, Gorakhpur, and Agartala respectively."

Data collection for the study was done between March 15, 2021 and June 10, 2021. According to the researchers, ELISA kits were used to assess the total serum antibody against SARS-CoV-2 among participants.

"The seroprevalence was 55.7 per cent in the and 63.5 per cent in the =18 year age group. There was no statistically significant difference in prevalence between adult and children," indicate findings of the study.

The study concludes, "SARS-CoV-2 sero-positivity rate among children was high and were comparable to the adult population. Hence, it is unlikely that any future third wave by prevailing Covid- 19 variant would disproportionately affect children two years or older."

Key findings

• Seroprevalence (level of a pathogen in a population) was 74.7 per cent in South Delhi's densely-populated resettlement colony even before the second wave hit, found the study.
• Similarly, seroprevalence was 59.3 per cent among children in Faridabad (NCR).
• Findings from the study also suggest that the areas surveyed in Delhi and Faridabad may have higher seroprevalence after the intense second wave.
• Seroprevalence in the rural district of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh was found to be 87.9 per cent.
• "Overall, more than half (62.3 per cent) of the rural population surveyed showed evidence of past infection," revealed initial findings of the study.
• The study found that seroprevalence was lowest among children at 51.9 per cent in Tripura.

(With inputs from Milan Sharma)