Investigation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 antibodies among the paediatric population in Mogadishu, Somalia

Abstract

Background We undertook this cross-sectional study to determine the level of circulating anti‐severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 immunoglobulins (IgM and IgG) in children, as well as to evaluate other potential risk factors. Methods Children attending the outpatient department of the SOS and Benadir Hospitals in Mogadishu from 26 July to 8 August 2021 were selected following parental consent. The children (aged <18 y) were screened using the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) rapid test lateral flow immune-assay kit. Results Of the 500 children screened for COVID-19, 32 (6.4%) tested positive, out of which 26 (5.2%) had IgG antibodies, while five (1%) had IgM, with the other child (0.2%) having both circulating IgG and IgM antibodies. Also, 46.9% of the COVID-19–positive children were asymptomatic without any clinical signs of the disease. Children aged >6 y and those attending school were the most affected (p=0.002). The most common clinical features among positive children were fever (22.6%), cough (22.2%), shortness of breath (5.8%) and loss of smell (2.6%) and taste (2.2%). Similarly, not wearing a facemask as a preventive measure was found to be a significant risk factor (p=0.007). Conclusions This study shows that children are at risk of contracting COVID-19 infection. Our study also shows evidence of a high rate of IgG antibodies in school-aged children having close contact with infected adults, in those not wearing facemasks, as well as in those with a family history of comorbidities.

Backsliding on Childhood Immunizations Due to Ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Study in Banadir Region, Somalia

“…Somalia is surviving decades of civil war, which lead to the fragility and instability of the country's health system. This has resulted in increased incidence of infectious diseases with high cases of mortality (Moussa et al, 2021;Abdullahi et al, 2022;Aden and Bashiru, 2022;Dahie et al, 2022;Nur et al, 2022). Since the pandemic began, a considerable decline in the number of primary healthcare visits and childhood immunization has also been noted, with parents expressing fear to present their children for routine vaccination due to the possibility of contracting the disease (Coker et al, 2021).…”