The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies in Australian children: a cross sectional study

Abstract

Background: Following reduction of public health and social measures concurrent with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron emergence in late 2021 in Australia, COVID-19 case notification rates rose rapidly. As rates of direct viral testing and reporting dropped, true infection rates were most likely to be underestimated. Objective: To better understand infection rates and immunity in this population, we aimed to estimate SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Australians aged 0-19 years. Methods: We conducted a national cross sectional serosurvey from June 1, 2022, to August 31, 2022, in children aged 0-19 years undergoing an anesthetic procedure at eight tertiary pediatric hospitals. Participant questionnaires were administered, and blood samples tested using the Roche Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 total spike and nucleocapsid antibody assays. S and N seroprevalence adjusted for geographic and socioeconomic imbalances in the participant sample compared to the Australian population was estimated using multilevel regression and poststratification within a Bayesian framework. Results: Blood was collected from 2,046 participants (median age: 6.6 years). Adjusted seroprevalence of spike-antibody was 92.1 % (95% credible interval (CrI) 91.0-93.3%) and nucleocapsid-antibody was 67.0% (95% CrI 64.6-69.3). In unvaccinated children spike and nucleocapsid antibody seroprevalences were 84.2% (95% CrI 81.9-86.5) and 67.1% (95%CrI 64.0-69.8), respectively. Seroprevalence increased with age but was similar across geographic distribution and socioeconomic quintiles. Conclusion: Most Australian children and adolescents aged 0-19 years, across all jurisdictions were infected with SARS-CoV-2 by August 2022, suggesting rapid and uniform spread across the population in a very short time period. High seropositivity in unvaccinated children informed COVID-19 vaccine recommendations in Australia. Funding: Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.