SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among children in Greece during Omicron variant period.

The Omicron variant is associated with increased transmissibility, but evidence about the impact of Omicron in seropositivity of children is limited. This study aims to evaluate SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in children during the different variants' subperiods. A prospective multicenter seroprevalence study was conducted in 7 University public hospitals in Greece from November 2021 to August 2022 (3 subperiods: November 2021-February 2022, March 2022-May 2022, June 2022-August 2022). Children from different age groups, admitted to the hospital or examined in outpatient clinics for reasons other than COVID-19 were enrolled. Neutralizing antibodies (Nabs), anti-Spike (anti-S) and anti-nucleocapsid (anti-N) SARS-CoV-2 IgG in serum were evaluated. A total of 2127 children (males:57,2%; median age:4,8years) were enrolled. Anti-N IgG seropositivity increased from 17,8% in the first sub-period to 40,7% in the second sub-period and then decreased in the third sub-period (36,7%). Anti-S IgG seropositivity appeared to have an increasing trend over the study period, starting from 34,8% and reaching 80,7%. Children aged 1-4 years old have significantly higher anti-N IgG titers compared to children aged 0-1 years old (p < 0,001). Infants have significantly lower anti-S IgG titers compared to all other age groups (p < 0,001). Immunocompromised children and infants have the lowest seropositivity for NAbs.Conclusions During the Omicron period, seropositivity significantly increased, as a result of higher transmissibility. Neonates and infants have lower antibody titers compared to other age groups, while young children aged 1-4 years old present higher antibody titers, suggesting that this age group may mount a higher antibody response. Continuous surveillance seroprevalence studies are needed in children, in order to identify the true extent of SARS-CoV-2 and guide the planning of adequate public health measures.

WHAT IS KNOWN: • Seroprevalence surveys among children may be extremely useful, in order to properly monitor the immunity, either natural or acquired, through the quantification of IgG antibodies and to plan further immunization policies. • There are variations in the seroprevalence of COVID-19 between the different periods, according to the vaccination rates, the type of circulating variant and the transmissibility of the virus. • The Omicron variant is associated with increased transmissibility, but evidence about the impact of Omicron in seropositivity of children is limited. WHAT IS NEW: • In this large multicenter seroepidemiological study, SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence rate in children is higher during the Omicron period in comparison to the previous pandemic waves, due to the high transmissibility of the virus and the increased rates of reinfection. • Neonates and infants have lower antibody titers compared to other age groups, while young children aged 1­4 years old present higher antibody titers, indicating that the children of this age group mount a higher antibody response. • This study provides essential information about immunity and the level of protection in the pediatric population, as neutralizing antibodies were evaluated, in addition to the anti-N and anti-S IgG antibodies.

Emergency department utilization and disposition outcomes by pediatric patients with cancer in Maryland and New York from 2013 to 2017.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric patients with cancer commonly seek emergency department (ED) care, yet there is limited evidence on ED utilization patterns and disposition outcomes among these patients. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Emergency Department Databases and State Inpatient Databases for Maryland and New York from 2013 to 2017. We compared ED visits and disposition outcomes for 5.8 million pediatric patients (<18 years old) with and without cancer, and used multivariable regressions to estimate associations between the number of ED visits, hospital (inpatient) admissions through the ED, and ED or inpatient mortality and sociodemographic and clinical factors within the cancer cohort. RESULTS: Pediatric patients with cancer had more ED visits per year on average (2.4 vs. 1.5, p < .001), higher shares of admissions (56.8% vs. 6.6%, p < .001) and mortality (1.2% vs. 0.1%, p < .001) compared to those without cancer. Among patients with cancer, uninsured pediatric patients had fewer ED visits and lower risk of admission to a hospital through the ED compared to those with Medicaid coverage (total visits: incidence rate ratio [IRR]: 0.82, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.75-0.90; admission: IRR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.65-0.86). Mortality risks were higher for pediatric patients with cancer residing in areas with the lowest median household income, and with no health insurance coverage (IRR: 2.81, 95% CI: 1.21-6.51) compared to Medicaid. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings emphasize the importance of enhancing health insurance coverage policies and social services for pediatric patients with cancer and their families to address clinical and nonclinical needs.

Effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination against school absenteeism in children and adolescents hospitalized with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 vaccination has been recommended for children to protect them and to enable in-person educational and social activities. METHODS: We estimated COVID-19 vaccination effectiveness (VE) against school absenteeism in children 5-17 years old hospitalized from September 1, 2021 through May 31, 2023. Full vaccination was defined as two vaccine doses. RESULTS: We studied 231 children admitted to hospital with COVID-19, including 206 (89.2 %) unvaccinated/partially vaccinated and 25 (10.8 %) fully vaccinated. Unvaccinated/partially vaccinated children were absent from school for longer periods compared to fully vaccinated children (median absence: 14 versus 10 days; p-value = 0.05). Multivariable regression showed that full COVID-19 vaccination was associated with fewer days of absence compared to no/partial vaccination on average (adjusted relative risk: 0.77; 95 % CI: 0.61 to 0.98). COVID-19 VE was 50.7 % (95 % CI: -11.3 % to 78.2 %) for school absenteeism above the median duration of absenteeism. CONCLUSIONS: Full COVID-19 vaccination conferred protection against school absenteeism in hospitalized school-aged children with COVID-19.

Serum YKL-40 as a Potential Biomarker for Sepsis in Term Neonates-A Pilot Study.

Although YKL-40 is a promising diagnostic biomarker of sepsis in adults, its value in neonatal sepsis is not known. The study objectives included assessing the levels and diagnostic value of serum YKL-40 in term neonates with sepsis and comparing YKL-40 with other commonly used inflammatory biomarkers. In this pilot case-control study, 45 term neonates (30 septic and 15 non-septic, as controls), 4 to 28 days old, were prospectively studied. The International Pediatric Sepsis Consensus Conference criteria were applied to diagnose sepsis. During the acute phase (admission) and remission of sepsis, blood samples were collected from cases (while from controls they were only collected once) for routine laboratory tests, cultures, and the measurement of serum YKL-40 levels via Elisa. In the acute phase of sepsis, YKL-40 levels were significantly elevated in comparison with remission (p = 0.004) and controls (p = 0.003). YKL-40 levels did not differ significantly between patients in remission and controls (p = 0.431). Upon admission, YKL-40 levels correlated positively with white blood count, absolute neutrophil count, and CRP levels. Via ROC analysis, it was shown that YKL-40 levels upon admission were a significant indicator of sepsis (AUC = 0.771; 95% CI 0.632-0.911; p = 0.003). Serum YKL-40 might be considered as an adjuvant biomarker of sepsis in term neonates.

Parental and Pediatricians' Attitudes towards COVID-19 Vaccination for Children: Results from Nationwide Samples in Greece.

Although many studies have examined factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination and healthcare professionals' attitudes towards vaccines, less is known about parents' and pediatricians' attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination for children. Using two cross-sectional surveys from November to December 2021 in Greece, we aimed to assess parental intention to vaccinate their 5 to 17 years old children against COVID-19 and to evaluate pediatricians' attitudes towards children's vaccination against COVID-19. Overall, 439 parents and 135 pediatricians participated. Of them, 240 (54.7%) intended to vaccinate their children against COVID-19. The most commonly reported reasons for non-intention were the short length of clinical trials and the fear of side effects. Only 16.6% of non-intenders would vaccinate their children if the pediatrician recommended it. The factors associated with higher intention to get vaccinated were a parent's own vaccination against COVID-19, trust in official healthcare guidelines, increased trust in the state and the healthcare system during the pandemic, and older age. Of the pediatricians, 92.6% recommended children's vaccination, and 75.6% agreed with mandating the vaccine. These findings suggest the need to tailor easy-to-understand messages by well-informed pediatricians to address safety concerns, educate, and clarify misconceptions through targeted interventions among those who currently do not wish to vaccinate their children.

Parental attitudes towards vaccination against COVID-19 of children 5-11 years old in Greece.

RATIONALE: Vaccinating children against COVID-19 is critical to contain the ongoing pandemic. AIMS/OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to assess parents' and caregivers' intention to vaccinate their 5-11 years old children against COVID-19 and to estimate the association between vaccination intention and sociodemographic, clinical and contextual factors. METHOD: We conducted a questionnaire-based survey on a convenience sample of parents in Patras, Western Greece. RESULTS: Out of 366 study participants, around 48% reported their intention to vaccinate their child. The main factors associated with positive attitudes were paediatrician recommendation, parental vaccination, and reliance on the healthcare providers for decision making. Of note, 80% of the 190 parents who did not intend to vaccinate their children would vaccinate them if the paediatrician recommended it. CONCLUSION: Interventions to further train healthcare professionals to establish rapport with parents, and to provide adequate information about vaccinations are crucial to address concerns related to COVID-19 vaccine benefits for children.

Informal out-of-pocket payments experience and individuals' willingness-to-pay for healthcare services in Greece.

BACKGROUND: Informal out-of-pocket payments to healthcare providers are not uncommon in the Greek health system. We explore individuals' willingness-to-pay (WTP) to secure zero out-of-pocket full coverage for healthcare services and medications and we estimate the impact of past informal payments and individuals' opinion about the legalization of informal payments on WTP. METHODS: We conducted a survey of 2841 participants from November 2016 to February 2017. We obtained information on WTP using the contingent valuation method. A two-part regression model was used to estimate the association between WTP, informal payments, and respondents' opinion about legalizing such payments. RESULTS: About 80% of the respondents were willing to pay an average of €95 per month to obtain free access to full healthcare coverage and medications. About 65% of the respondents were involved in an informal payment at least once during the past four months with an average payment of €247. Higher informal payments and supportive opinions towards the legalization of informal payments increased the likelihood of WTP and were also positively associated with increased WTP amounts overall (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This survey reveals that individuals' WTP is critically affected by previous experiences and attitudes towards informal payments. Our results imply that the potential introduction of official fees might not suffice to limit informal payments and suggest the need for stricter regulatory policies.