Lise Boey (Belgium)

Leuven University Vaccinology Center, KU Leuven Public health and primary care
Lise Boey obtained a PhD in biomedical sciences at the KU Leuven in 2020 and has a master degree in Biomedical Sciences from the same university since 2016. Her PhD research focused on vaccination in high-risk patients and high-risk groups and included intervention studies as well as clinical and epidemiological research. Next to her PhD research, she also performed a study on SARS-CoV2 seroprevalence in children at the Leuven University Vaccinology Center. Lise Boey now works as a postdoctoral researcher at the multidisciplinary access-to-medicines research group of the Faculty of Economics and Business of KU Leuven. She works on various projects related to health systems with regards to vaccines, antivirals and infectious diseases, and a focus on low-and middle-income countries.

Presenter of 1 Presentation

 Conference Calendar

AGE-DEPENDENT SEROPREVALENCE OF SARS-COV-2 ANTIBODIES IN SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN FROM AREAS WITH LOW AND HIGH COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION (ID 329)

Session Name
2220 - ORAL PRESENTATIONS 06: COVID TRANSMISSION (ID 103)
Lecture Time
10:51 - 10:58
Room
Hall 03
Presenter

Abstract

Background

It is not yet clear to what extent SARS-COV-2 infection rates in children reflect community transmission, nor whether infection rates differ between primary schoolchildren and young teenagers.

Methods

A cross-sectional serosurvey compared the SARS-CoV2 attack-rate in a sample of 362 children recruited from September 21 to October 6, 2020 in primary (ages 6-12) or lower secondary school (ages 12-15) in a municipality with low community transmission (Pelt) to a municipality with high community transmission (Alken) in Belgium. Children were equally distributed over grades and regions. Blood samples were tested for the presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

We found anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in 4.4% of children in the low transmission region and in 14.4% of children in the high transmission region. None of the primary schoolchildren were seropositive in the low transmission region, whereas the seroprevalence among primary and secondary schoolchildren did not differ significantly in the high transmission region. None of the seropositive children suffered from severe disease. Children who were in contact with a confirmed case (RR: 3.8; 95%CI: 1.7 – 8.3), who participated in extracurricular activities (RR: 5.6; 95%CI: 1.2 – 25.3) or whose caregiver is a healthcare worker who had contact with COVID-19 patients (RR: 2.2; 95%CI: 1.0 – 4.6), were at higher risk of seropositivity.

Conclusions

If SARS-CoV2 circulation in the community is high, this will be reflected in the pediatric population with similar infection rates in children aged 6-12 years and 12-15 years.

Clinical Trial Registration

Not applicable

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