Irish SARS-CoV-2 convalescent serological status of children following acute pneumonia during Ireland’s first wave

A global epidemic caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in China in December 2019 has spread worldwide¹. We hypothesised that due to low levels of viral shedding in children's upper airways, many children with COVID-19 related respiratory illness admitted to the hospital might be negative on nasopharyngeal PCR testing. Evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 antibodies can be detected typically 9-14 days after onset of symptoms but may take up to 3 months2. Therefore, convalescent serological evidence of SARS-CoV-2, as an alternative means to determine the rate of COVID-19 infection, was assessed.