The median number of residents per household was four

The median number of residents per household was four. 24 months, we collected data on sociodemographic characteristics, behavioural data, clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2, vaccination status, SARS-CoV-2 Ki16198 (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) RT-PCR and anti-S antibody tests. Among adults, the majority of participants were women (62%). Findings to date We enrolled 845 families Ki16198 from May 2020 to May 2022. The median number Ki16198 of residents per household was four. The median household density, defined as the number of persons per room, was 0.95. The risk of SARS-CoV-2 occurrence was higher in households with a high number of persons per room. Children were not the principal source of SARS-CoV-2 infections in their households during the first wave of the pandemic. Future plans Future studies will investigate cellular and humoral immune responses to locally circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants, which is relevant for the design of vaccines, antivirals and monoclonal antibodies. We will also engage in outreach to encourage vaccination as a means of limiting the transmission of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants and other emerging pathogens. Keywords: COVID-19, Community child health, Epidemiology STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS OF THIS STUDY Rates of participant retention and visit completion were high when compared with similar settings. We were able to estimate the overall incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in this population, not restricted to individuals with obvious clinical signs of COVID-19. Since the cohort has been followed continuously for 2?years, we have been able to gather data about successive variants that have swept through the population. There was some irregularity of study visits, which sometimes had to be rescheduled due to armed conflicts in the community. We could have missed acute SARS-CoV-2 infections either between visits or when visits were cancelled. Introduction The emergence of COVID-19 has caused a serious health crisis affecting the world since 2020. More than 624?million confirmed cases, including 6.6?million deaths, have been reported up to October 2022 worldwide.1 In the Western Hemisphere, more than 20% of all COVID-19 cases have occurred in Brazil. At the global scale, 10% of COVID-19 deaths have been in Brazil. Rio de Janeiro has reported the second highest number of COVID-19 deaths of any city in Brazil.2 3 Understanding intrafamily transmission is essential for designing appropriate interventions. Much of the research investigating this question has been based on cross-sectional studies that do not accompany participants longitudinally making it difficult to investigate the transmission process over time.4 Longitudinal data about household transmission are particularly scant in low-income and middle-income countries. Among the factors that may drive such transmission are the difficulty of remaining isolated in crowded households and insufficient access to laboratory tests. In addition, transmission patterns have evolved in the 2 2?years of the pandemic with circulation of SARS-CoV-2 variants, which differ in virulence and transmissibility. To better understand the local transmission of SARS-COV-2 in the aforementioned communities and the role of children in such transmission, we have followed a cohort of children and their household contacts during the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020C2022). Cohort description This is an open prospective cohort study of children 12 years old and their household contacts. The present report describes our findings from 20 May 2020 to 31 May 2022. Recruitment was closed at the end of this analysis, but it is immediately reopened whenever a new variant Rabbit Polyclonal to MNK1 (phospho-Thr255) of concern is detected in the community. The epidemic context This period encompassed different locally-circulating SARS-CoV-2 lineages, in particular, B.1.1.33 during the first wave5 followed Ki16198 by variants Zeta (P.2), Gamma (P.1/P.1.*), Delta (B.1.617.2/AY.*) and Omicron (BA.*). The epidemiological scenario in the community has evolved during the study.6 In March 2020, social distancing policies including quarantine and school closure were implemented. From April 2020 to October 2021, emergency financial assistance was made available to low-income households. In June 2020, bars, stores and restaurants were reopened. However, adherence to control measures varied among neighbourhoods and was generally poorest in low-resource communities. Vaccination began in Rio de Janeiro in January 2021. Public schools resumed in-person classes in November 2021, immediately before the Ki16198 end of the academic year. Recruitment and eligibility criteria Recruitment took place at the Germano Sinval Faria Health Centre, at the Sergio Arouca National School of Public Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. This primary healthcare centre is located in Manguinhos, a neighbourhood in the Northern sector of the city of Rio de Janeiro. It provides primary care services to residents of Manguinhos, which is a neighbourhood with low household income. The clinic provides medical care free of charge to people who live in Manguinhos serving an average of 30?000 adults and 4300 children12 years old every month..