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The psychosocial underpinnings of vaccine hesitancy are complex. Research is needed to pinpoint the exact reasons why people hesitate to vaccinate themselves or their children against vaccine-preventable diseases. One possible reason are concerns that arise from a misunderstanding of vaccine science. We examined the impact of scientific reasoning on vaccine hesitancy and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination intent through a cross-sectional study of parents of vaccine-eligible children (N = 399) at immunization clinics in Shanghai, China. We assessed the relationship between science reasoning and both vaccine hesitancy and HPV vaccine acceptance using general additive models. We found a significant association between scientific reasoning and education level, with those with less than a high school education having a significantly lower scientific reasoning that those with a college education (ß = -1.31, p-value = 0.002). However, there was little evidence of a relationship between scientific reasoning and vaccine hesitancy. Scientific reasoning therefore appears not to exert primary influence on the formation of vaccine attitudes among the respondents surveyed. We suggest that research on vaccine hesitancy continues working to identify the styles of reasoning parents engage in when determining whether or not to vaccinate their children. This research could inform the development and implementation of tailored vaccination campaigns.
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Infecções por Papillomavirus , Vacinas contra Papillomavirus , Criança , Humanos , Hesitação Vacinal , Estudos Transversais , Conhecimentos, Atitudes e Prática em Saúde , China , Vacinação/psicologia , Pais/psicologia , Aceitação pelo Paciente de Cuidados de Saúde/psicologia , Infecções por Papillomavirus/prevenção & controleRESUMO
Despite well-documented evidence that structurally disadvantaged populations are disproportionately affected by infectious diseases, our understanding of the pathways that connect structural disadvantage to the burden of infectious diseases is limited. We propose a conceptual framework to facilitate more rigorous examination and testing of hypothesized mechanisms through which social and environmental factors shape the burden of infectious diseases and lead to persistent inequities. Drawing upon the principles laid out by Link and Phelan in their landmark paper on social conditions (J Health Soc Behav. 1995;(spec no.):80-94), we offer an explication of potential pathways through which structural disadvantage (e.g., racism, sexism, and economic deprivation) operates to produce infectious disease inequities. Specifically, we describe how the social environment affects an individual's risk of infectious disease by 1) increasing exposure to infectious pathogens and 2) increasing susceptibility to infection. This framework will facilitate both the systematic examination of the ways in which structural disadvantage shapes the burden of infectious disease and the design of interventions that can disrupt these pathways.
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Doenças Transmissíveis , Humanos , Meio SocialRESUMO
In their first season of vaccination, young children are recommended 2 doses of influenza vaccine, but a 2-dose schedule might be difficult to implement in many countries. Within a cohort study of 742 children aged 6 to <24 months in Managua, Nicaragua, this study estimated effectiveness of partial vaccination from 3 to 9 months postvaccination. Vaccine effectiveness was 74% (95% confidence interval [CI], 24%-91%) within 3 months and 55% (95% CI, 10%-77%) within 4 months. There was not significant protection beyond 5 months. Partial vaccination might confer some benefits but should be followed by a second dose.
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Vacinas contra Influenza , Influenza Humana , Humanos , Lactente , Pré-Escolar , Influenza Humana/prevenção & controle , Estudos de Coortes , Vacinação , Estações do AnoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: There are few data on the full spectrum of disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection across the lifespan from community-based or nonclinical settings. METHODS: We followed 2338 people in Managua, Nicaragua, aged <94 years from March 2020 through March 2021. SARS-CoV-2 infection was identified through real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Disease presentation was assessed at the time of infection or retrospectively by survey at the time of blood collection. RESULTS: There was a large epidemic that peaked between March and August 2020. In total, 129 RT-PCR-positive infections were detected, for an overall incidence rate of 5.3 infections per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.4-6.3). Seroprevalence was 56.7% (95% CI, 53.5%-60.1%) and was consistent from age 11 through adulthood but was lower in children agedâ ≤10 years. Overall, 31.0% of the infections were symptomatic, with 54.7% mild, 41.6% moderate, and 3.7% severe. There were 2 deaths that were likely due to SARS-CoV-2 infection, yielding an infection fatality rate of 0.2%. Antibody titers exhibited a J-shaped curve with respect to age, with the lowest titers observed among older children and young adults and the highest among older adults. When compared to SARS-CoV-2-seronegative individuals, SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity at the midyear sample was associated with 93.6% protection from symptomatic reinfection (95% CI, 51.1%-99.2%). CONCLUSIONS: This population exhibited a very high SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity with lower-than-expected severity, and immunity from natural infection was protective against symptomatic reinfection.
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COVID-19 , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , COVID-19/epidemiologia , Criança , Humanos , Reinfecção/epidemiologia , Estudos Retrospectivos , SARS-CoV-2 , Estudos Soroepidemiológicos , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Influenza is associated with primary viral and secondary bacterial pneumonias; however, the dynamics of this relationship in populations with varied levels of pneumococcal vaccination remain unclear. We conducted nested matched case-control studies in 2 prospective cohorts of Nicaraguan children aged 2-14 years: 1 before pneumococcal conjugate vaccine introduction (2008-2010) and 1 following introduction and near universal adoption (2011-2018). The association between influenza and pneumonia was similar in both cohorts. Participants with influenza (across types/subtypes) had higher odds of developing pneumonia in the month following influenza infection. These findings underscore the importance of considering influenza in interventions to reduce global pneumonia burden.
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Influenza Humana , Infecções Pneumocócicas , Vacinas Pneumocócicas/administração & dosagem , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Humanos , Lactente , Influenza Humana/epidemiologia , Nicarágua , Infecções Pneumocócicas/epidemiologia , Infecções Pneumocócicas/prevenção & controle , Pneumonia Pneumocócica/epidemiologia , Pneumonia Pneumocócica/prevenção & controle , Estudos Prospectivos , Vacinas ConjugadasRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Pneumonia is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Influenza may result in primary pneumonia or be associated with secondary bacterial pneumonia. While the association with secondary pneumonia has been established ecologically, individual-level evidence remains sparse and the risk period for pneumonia following influenza poorly defined. METHODS: We conducted a matched case-control study and a prospective cohort study among Nicaraguan children aged 0-14 years from 2011 through 2018. Physicians diagnosed pneumonia cases based on Integrated Management for Childhood Illness guidelines. Cases were matched with up to 4 controls on age (months) and study week. We fit conditional logistic regression models to assess the association between influenza subtype and subsequent pneumonia development, and a Bayesian nonlinear survival model to estimate pneumonia hazard following influenza. RESULTS: Participants with influenza had greater risk of developing pneumonia in the 30 days following onset compared to those without influenza (matched odds ratio [mOR], 2.7 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.9-3.9]). Odds of developing pneumonia were highest for participants following A(H1N1)pdm09 illness (mOR, 3.7 [95% CI, 2.0-6.9]), followed by influenza B and A(H3N2). Participants' odds of pneumonia following influenza were not constant, showing distinct peaks 0-6 days (mOR, 8.3 [95% CI, 4.8-14.5] days) and 14-20 (mOR, 2.5 [95% CI, 1.1-5.5] days) after influenza infection. CONCLUSIONS: Influenza is a significant driver of both primary and secondary pneumonia among children. The presence of distinct periods of elevated pneumonia risk in the 30 days following influenza supports multiple etiological pathways.
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Vírus da Influenza A Subtipo H1N1 , Influenza Humana , Pneumonia , Adolescente , Teorema de Bayes , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Humanos , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Vírus da Influenza A Subtipo H3N2 , Influenza Humana/complicações , Influenza Humana/epidemiologia , Pneumonia/complicações , Pneumonia/epidemiologia , Estudos ProspectivosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes substantial morbidity and mortality among children worldwide, commonly through acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRI). To assess the incidence rate of symptomatic RSV illness among young children, we conducted a prospective birth cohort study following children from 0-2 years of age in Managua, Nicaragua. METHODS: Children meeting the testing criteria (fever, history of fever, or severe respiratory symptoms [apnea, stridor, nasal flaring, wheezing, chest indrawing, and/or central cyanosis]) were tested for RSV infections using real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. An acute lower respiratory infection was defined as a diagnosis of pneumonia, bronchiolitis, bronchitis, or bronchial hyperreactivity. The incidence rate was calculated, and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using a Poisson distribution. RESULTS: A total of 833 children participated in the cohort: 289 (34.7%) had at least 1 episode of laboratory-confirmed RSV, and 156 (18.7%) of had an episode of RSV-associated ALRI (RSV-ALRI). The incidence rate of symptomatic RSV was 248.1 cases per 1000 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI] 223.2-275.7). While infants aged 6-11 months had the highest incidence of symptomatic RSV (361.3/1000 person-years, 95% CI 304.4-428.8), infants <3 months had the highest incidence of severe RSV (RSV-associated hospitalizations and/or severe ALRI). RSV was also associated with 25.0-37.5% of deaths from medical causes (n = 8). CONCLUSIONS: A substantial burden of RSV exists among children aged <2 years in Nicaraguan communities. RSV was also a leading cause of infant mortality among study participants. The development and implementation of effective RSV prevention and treatment measures represent an opportunity to substantially reduce severe illness and death among children worldwide.
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Infecções por Vírus Respiratório Sincicial , Infecções Respiratórias , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Estudos de Coortes , Hospitalização , Humanos , Incidência , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Nicarágua/epidemiologia , Estudos Prospectivos , Infecções por Vírus Respiratório Sincicial/diagnóstico , Infecções por Vírus Respiratório Sincicial/epidemiologia , Infecções Respiratórias/diagnóstico , Infecções Respiratórias/epidemiologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Malaria persists in some high-transmission areas despite extensive control efforts. Progress toward elimination may require effective targeting of specific human populations that act as key transmission reservoirs. METHODS: Parameterized using molecular-based Plasmodium falciparum infection data from cross-sectional community studies in southern Malawi, a simulation model was developed to predict the proportions of human-to-mosquito transmission arising from (a) children under 5 years old (U5s), (b) school-age children (SAC, 5-15 years), (c) young adults (16-30 years), and (d) adults > 30 years. The model incorporates mosquito biting heterogeneity and differential infectivity (i.e. probability that a blood-fed mosquito develops oocysts) by age and gametocyte density. RESULTS: The model predicted that SAC were responsible for more than 60% of new mosquito infections in both dry and rainy seasons, even though they comprise only 30% of this southern Malawi population. Young adults were the second largest contributors, while U5s and adults over 30 were each responsible for < 10% of transmission. While the specific predicted values are sensitive to the relative infectiousness of SAC, this group remained the most important contributor to mosquito infections under all realistic estimates. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that U5 children play a small role compared to SAC in maintaining P. falciparum transmission in southern Malawi. Models that assume biting homogeneity overestimate the importance of U5s. To reduce transmission, interventions will need to reach more SAC and young adults. This publicly available model can be used by others to estimate age-specific transmission contributions in epidemiologically similar sites with local parameter estimates of P. falciparum prevalence and bed net use.
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Anopheles/parasitologia , Malária Falciparum/transmissão , Plasmodium falciparum/fisiologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Fatores Etários , Idoso , Animais , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Humanos , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Malaui , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Modelos Teóricos , Estações do Ano , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: A lack of fine, spatially-resolute case data for the U.S. has prevented the examination of how COVID-19 infection burden has been distributed across neighborhoods, a key determinant of both risk and resilience. Without more spatially resolute data, efforts to identify and mitigate the long-term fallout from COVID-19 in vulnerable communities will remain difficult to quantify and intervene on. METHODS: We leveraged spatially-referenced data from 21 states collated through the COVID Neighborhood Project to examine the distribution of COVID-19 cases across neighborhoods and states in the U.S. We also linked the COVID-19 case data with data on the neighborhood social environment from the National Neighborhood Data Archive. We then estimated correlations between neighborhood COVID-19 burden and features of the neighborhood social environment. RESULTS: We find that the distribution of COVID-19 at the neighborhood-level varies within and between states. The median case count per neighborhood (coefficient of variation (CV)) in Wisconsin is 3078.52 (0.17) per 10,000 population, indicating a more homogenous distribution of COVID-19 burden, whereas in Vermont the median case count per neighborhood (CV) is 810.98 (0.84) per 10,000 population. We also find that correlations between features of the neighborhood social environment and burden vary in magnitude and direction by state. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings underscore the importance that local contexts may play when addressing the long-term social and economic fallout communities will face from COVID-19.
A lack of data on the geographic location of COVID-19 cases in the U.S has limited our ability to examine how COVID-19 burden has been distributed across neighborhoods within U.S. states. It may be that certain neighborhoods have borne a disproportionate burden of COVID-19 and are more likely to experience greater long-term social and economic consequences from the pandemic. We used data from 21 states to examine the distribution of COVID-19 cases across neighborhoods and states in the U.S. We find that the distribution of COVID-19 varies widely both within neighborhoods in a state, and between states. We also find that the features of the neighborhood social environment that are correlated with neighborhood COVID-19 burden vary by state. Our findings show that the local neighborhood may play an important role in addressing long-term social and economic consequences from COVID-19.
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[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0000414.].
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On 11 September 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC) killed nearly three thousand people and exposed hundreds of thousands of rescue and recovery workers, passersby, area workers, and residents to varying amounts of dust and smoke. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani ordered the emergency evacuation of Lower Manhattan below Canal Street, but not all residents evacuated. Previous studies showed that those who did not evacuate had a higher incidence of newly diagnosed asthma. Among the 71,424 who enrolled in the WTC Health Registry in 2003-2004, we evaluated the bivariate association of educational attainment, household income, and race or ethnicity with reported evacuation on or after 9/11/01. We used log binomial regression to assess the relative risks of not evacuating from their home following the 9/11 attacks, adjusting for age, gender, and marital status. Out of a total of 11,871 enrollee residents of Lower Manhattan, 7345 or 61.79% reported evacuating their home on or after 9/11. In a fully adjusted model, the estimated relative risk for not evacuating was elevated for those who identified as non-Hispanic Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Hispanic residents compared to non-Hispanic White residents. Residents with a high school diploma/GED had an elevated estimated risk compared to those with at least a bachelor's degree. Those with lower household incomes had an elevated estimated risk compared to those with the highest income category. These significant inequities will need to be prevented in future disasters.
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Ataques Terroristas de 11 de Setembro , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Feminino , Humanos , Lactente , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Adulto Jovem , Etnicidade/estatística & dados numéricos , Cidade de Nova Iorque , Classe Social , Grupos Raciais/estatística & dados numéricos , Abrigo de EmergênciaRESUMO
A lack of fine, spatially-resolute case data for the U.S. has prevented the examination of how COVID-19 burden has been distributed across neighborhoods, a known geographic unit of both risk and resilience, and is hampering efforts to identify and mitigate the long-term fallout from COVID-19 in vulnerable communities. Using spatially-referenced data from 21 states at the ZIP code or census tract level, we documented how the distribution of COVID-19 at the neighborhood-level varies significantly within and between states. The median case count per neighborhood (IQR) in Oregon was 3,608 (2,487) per 100,000 population, indicating a more homogenous distribution of COVID-19 burden, whereas in Vermont the median case count per neighborhood (IQR) was 8,142 (11,031) per 100,000. We also found that the association between features of the neighborhood social environment and burden varied in magnitude and direction by state. Our findings underscore the importance of local contexts when addressing the long-term social and economic fallout communities will face from COVID-19.
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Background: Recent studies explored which pathogens drive the global burden of pneumonia hospitalizations among young children. However, the etiology of broader acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRIs) remains unclear. Methods: Using a multicountry study (Albania, Jordan, Nicaragua, and the Philippines) of hospitalized infants and non-ill community controls between 2015 and 2017, we assessed the prevalence and severity of viral infections and coinfections. We also estimated the proportion of ALRI hospitalizations caused by 21 respiratory pathogens identified via multiplex real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction with bayesian nested partially latent class models. Results: An overall 3632 hospitalized infants and 1068 non-ill community controls participated in the study and had specimens tested. Among hospitalized infants, 1743 (48.0%) met the ALRI case definition for the etiology analysis. After accounting for the prevalence in non-ill controls, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was responsible for the largest proportion of ALRI hospitalizations, although the magnitude varied across sites-ranging from 65.2% (95% credible interval, 46.3%-79.6%) in Albania to 34.9% (95% credible interval, 20.0%-49.0%) in the Philippines. While the fraction of ALRI hospitalizations caused by RSV decreased as age increased, it remained the greatest driver. After RSV, rhinovirus/enterovirus (range, 13.4%-27.1%) and human metapneumovirus (range, 6.3%-12.0%) were the next-highest contributors to ALRI hospitalizations. Conclusions: We observed substantial numbers of ALRI hospitalizations, with RSV as the largest source, particularly in infants aged <3 months. This underscores the potential for vaccines and long-lasting monoclonal antibodies on the horizon to reduce the burden of ALRI in infants worldwide.
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BACKGROUND: Understanding respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) global epidemiology is important to inform future prevention strategies. METHODS: Hospitalized infants <1-year-old with acute illness were enrolled prospectively in Albania, Jordan, Nicaragua, and Philippines during respiratory seasons in 2015-2017. Medical chart review, parental interview, and post-discharge follow up were conducted. Respiratory specimens were tested using real-time RT-PCR for RSV. Infant characteristics associated with very severe illness (intensive care unit [ICU] admission or receipt of supplemental oxygen) were assessed using logistic regression to adjust for potential confounders (age, sex, study site, and preterm birth). RESULTS: Of 3634 enrolled hospitalized infants, 1129 (31%) tested positive for RSV. The median age of RSV-positive infants was 2.7 (IQR: 1.4-6.1) months and 665 (59%) were male. Very severe illness in 583 (52%) RSV-positive infants was associated with younger age (aOR 4.1, 95% CI: 2.6-6.5 for 0-2 compared to 9-11-months; P < .01), low weight-for-age z-score (aOR 1.9, 95% CI: 1.2-2.8; P < .01), ICU care after birth (aOR 1.6, 95% CI: 1.0-2.5; P = .048), and cesarean delivery (aOR 1.4, 95% CI: 1.0-1.8; P = .03). RSV subgroups A and B co-circulated at all sites with alternating predominance by year; subgroup was not associated with severity (aOR 1.0, 95% CI: 0.8-1.4). Nine (0.8%) RSV-positive infants died during admission or within ≤30 days of discharge, of which 7 (78%) were <6-months-old. CONCLUSIONS: RSV was associated with nearly a third of infant acute illness hospitalizations in four middle-income countries during the respiratory season, where, in addition to young age, factors including low weight-for-age might be important predictors of severity. RSV prevention strategies targeting young infants could substantially reduce RSV-associated hospitalizations in middle-income countries.
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Nascimento Prematuro , Infecções por Vírus Respiratório Sincicial , Vírus Sincicial Respiratório Humano , Feminino , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Humanos , Masculino , Doença Aguda , Assistência ao Convalescente , Países em Desenvolvimento , Alta do Paciente , HospitalizaçãoRESUMO
It has been proposed that as SARS-CoV-2 transitions to endemicity, children will represent the greatest proportion of SARS-Co-V-2 infections as they currently do with endemic coronavirus infections. While SARS-CoV-2 infection severity is low for children, it is unclear if SARS-CoV-2 infections are distinct in symptom presentation, duration, and severity from endemic coronavirus infections in children. We compared symptom risk and duration of endemic human coronavirus (HCoV) infections from 2011-2016 with SARS-CoV-2 infections from March 2020-September 2021 in a Nicaraguan pediatric cohort. Blood samples were collected from study participants annually in February-April. Respiratory samples were collected from participants that met testing criteria. Blood samples collected in were tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and a subset of 2011-2016 blood samples from four-year-old children were tested for endemic HCoV antibodies. Respiratory samples were tested for each of the endemic HCoVs from 2011-2016 and for SARS-CoV-2 from 2020-2021 via rt-PCR. By April 2021, 854 (49%) cohort participants were ELISA positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Most participants had antibodies against one alpha and one beta coronavirus by age four. We observed 595 symptomatic endemic HCoV infections from 2011-2016 and 121 symptomatic with SARS-CoV-2 infections from March 2020-September 2021. Symptom presentation of SARS-CoV-2 infection and endemic coronavirus infections were very similar, and SARS-CoV-2 symptomatic infections were as or less severe on average than endemic HCoV infections. This suggests that, for children, SARS-CoV-2 may be just another endemic coronavirus. However, questions about the impact of variants and the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 remain.
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The PARIS (Protection Associated with Rapid Immunity to SARS-CoV-2) cohort follows health care workers with and without documented coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) since April 2020. We report our findings regarding severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike-binding antibody stability and protection from infection in the pre-variant era. We analyzed data from 400 health care workers (150 seropositive and 250 seronegative at enrollment) for a median of 84 days. The SARS-CoV-2 spike-binding antibody titers were highly variable with antibody levels decreasing over the first 3 months, followed by a relative stabilization. We found that both more advanced age (>40 years) and female sex were associated with higher antibody levels (1.6-fold and 1.4-fold increases, respectively). Only six percent of the initially seropositive participants "seroreverted." We documented a total of 11 new SARS-CoV-2 infections (10 naive participants and 1 previously infected participant without detectable antibodies; P < 0.01), indicating that spike antibodies limit the risk of reinfection. These observations, however, only apply to SARS-CoV-2 variants antigenically similar to the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 ones. In conclusion, SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers mounted upon infection are stable over several months and provide protection from infection with antigenically similar viruses. IMPORTANCE SARS-CoV-2 is the cause of one of the largest noninfluenza pandemics of this century. This exceptional public health crisis highlights the urgent need for better understanding of the correlates of protection from infection and severe COVID-19. We established the PARIS cohort to determine durability and effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 immune responses. Here, we report on the kinetics of SARS-CoV-2 spike-binding antibody after SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as reinfection rates using data collected between April 2020 and August 2021. We found that antibody levels stabilized at individual steady state levels after an initial decrease with seroreversion being found in only 6% of the convalescent participants. SARS-CoV-2 infections only occurred in participants without detectable spike-binding antibodies, indicating significant protection from reinfection with antigenically similar viruses. Our data indicate the importance of spike-binding antibody titers in protection prior to vaccination and the wide circulation of antigenically diverse variants of concern.
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COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Humanos , Feminino , Adulto , SARS-CoV-2/genética , Reinfecção , Glicoproteína da Espícula de Coronavírus/genética , Anticorpos Antivirais , Anticorpos NeutralizantesRESUMO
It has been proposed that as SARS-CoV-2 transitions to endemicity, children will represent the greatest proportion of SARS-Co-V-2 infections as they currently do with endemic coronavirus infections. While SARS-CoV-2 infection severity is low for children, it is unclear if SARS-CoV-2 infections are distinct in symptom presentation, duration, and severity from endemic coronavirus infections in children. We compared symptom risk and duration of endemic human coronavirus (HCoV) infections from 2011-2016 with SARS-CoV-2 infections from March 2020-September 2021 in a Nicaraguan pediatric cohort. Blood samples were collected from study participants annually in February-April. Respiratory samples were collected from participants that met testing criteria. Blood samples collected in were tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and a subset of 2011-2016 blood samples from four-year-old children were tested for endemic HCoV antibodies. Respiratory samples were tested for each of the endemic HCoVs from 2011-2016 and for SARS-CoV-2 from 2020-2021 via rt-PCR. By April 2021, 854 (49%) cohort participants were ELISA positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Most participants had antibodies against one alpha and one beta coronavirus by age four. We observed 595 symptomatic endemic HCoV infections from 2011-2016 and 121 symptomatic with SARS-CoV-2 infections from March 2020-September 2021. Symptom presentation of SARS-CoV-2 infection and endemic coronavirus infections were very similar, and SARS-CoV-2 symptomatic infections were as or less severe on average than endemic HCoV infections. This suggests that, for children, SARS-CoV-2 may be just another endemic coronavirus. However, questions about the impact of variants and the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 remain.
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In the first 2 years of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, influenza transmission decreased substantially worldwide, meaning that health systems were not faced with simultaneous respiratory epidemics. In 2022, however, substantial influenza transmission returned to Nicaragua where it co-circulated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, causing substantial disease burden.