2024-08

1st Scientific conference of Kurdistan doctor syndicate

Aims of the Study This study aimed to determine the prevalence of COVID-19 infection in children under 12 years of age and to investigate factors influencing the production of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Materials and Methods This was a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study conducted in Duhok city, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, between July 2022 and February 2023. IgG levels against SARS-CoV-2 were measured using an ELISA assay. Results Out of 330 participants, 26 (7.88%) had a documented history of COVID-19 confirmed by PCR, while 302 (91.15%) showed positive IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. The characteristics of the 302 individuals with positive IgG results were compared to 28 individuals with negative results. The analysis revealed that age group and family history of documented COVID-19 were significantly associated with the presence of IgG antibodies. The 5-8 age group exhibited the highest percentage of positive IgG antibodies. Furthermore, individuals with a family history of documented COVID-19 had a significantly higher rate of positive IgG antibodies compared to those without such a history (P=0.04). No significant differences were found between males and females, socioeconomic status, feeding methods, chronic diseases, birth weight, or family size (P>0.05). In examining factors that might affect IgG levels, no significant differences in mean IgG levels were observed based on age, birth weight, socioeconomic status, maternal occupation, premature labor, feeding practices, previous COVID-19 history, pneumonia, immunization status, family history of documented COVID-19, or family size (P>0.05). However, females had significantly higher mean IgG levels than males (P=0.049). Conclusions This study highlights key risk factors associated with COVID-19 infection in children. Age group and family history of documented COVID-19 were identified as significant factors influencing the presence of IgG antibodies. These findings provide valuable insights for the development of targeted prevention and treatment strategies for COVID-19 in children.