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Published in: BMC Medicine 1/2022

Open Access 01-12-2022 | COVID-19 | Research article

Is living in a household with children associated with SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity in adults? Results from the Swiss national seroprevalence study Corona Immunitas

Authors: Jacob Blankenberger, Marco Kaufmann, Emiliano Albanese, Rebecca Amati, Daniela Anker, Anne-Linda Camerini, Patricia Chocano-Bedoya, Stéphane Cullati, Alexia Cusini, Jan Fehr, Erika Harju, Philipp Kohler, Susi Kriemler, Gisela Michel, Nicolas Rodondi, Pierre-Yves Rodondi, Alexandre Speierer, Stefano Tancredi, Milo A. Puhan, Christian R. Kahlert, on behalf of the Corona Immunitas Research Group

Published in: BMC Medicine | Issue 1/2022

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Abstract

Background

We aimed to determine whether living in a household with children is associated with SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity in adults and investigated interacting factors that may influence this association.

Methods

SARS-CoV-2 serology testing was performed in randomly selected individuals from the general population between end of October 2020 and February 2021 in 11 cantons in Switzerland. Data on sociodemographic and household characteristics, employment status, and health-related history was collected using questionnaires. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association of living with children <18 years of age (number, age group) and SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity. Further, we assessed the influence of reported non-household contacts, employment status, and gender.

Results

Of 2393 working age participants (18–64 years), 413 (17.2%) were seropositive. Our results suggest that living with children and SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity are likely to be associated (unadjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.22, 95% confidence interval [0.98–1.52], adjusted OR 1.25 [0.99–1.58]). A pattern of a positive association was also found for subgroups of children aged 0–11 years (OR 1.21 [0.90–1.60]) and 12–17 years (OR 1.14 [0.78–1.64]). Odds of seropositivity were higher with more children (OR 1.14 per additional child [1.02–1.27]). Men had higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection when living with children than women (interaction: OR 1.74 [1.10–2.76]).

Conclusions

In adults from the general population living with children seems associated with SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity. However, child-related infection risk is not the same for every subgroup and depends on factors like gender. Further factors determining child-related infection risk need to be identified and causal links investigated.
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Metadata
Title
Is living in a household with children associated with SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity in adults? Results from the Swiss national seroprevalence study Corona Immunitas
Authors
Jacob Blankenberger
Marco Kaufmann
Emiliano Albanese
Rebecca Amati
Daniela Anker
Anne-Linda Camerini
Patricia Chocano-Bedoya
Stéphane Cullati
Alexia Cusini
Jan Fehr
Erika Harju
Philipp Kohler
Susi Kriemler
Gisela Michel
Nicolas Rodondi
Pierre-Yves Rodondi
Alexandre Speierer
Stefano Tancredi
Milo A. Puhan
Christian R. Kahlert
on behalf of the Corona Immunitas Research Group
Publication date
01-12-2022
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Medicine / Issue 1/2022
Electronic ISSN: 1741-7015
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-022-02431-z

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