Background: We undertook this cross-sectional study to determine the level of circulating anti-severe acute
respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 immunoglobulins (IgM and IgG) in children, as well as to evaluate other
potential risk factors.
Methods: Children attending the outpatient department of the SOS and Benadir Hospitals in Mogadishu from 26
July to 8 August 2021 were selected following parental consent. The children (aged <18 y) were screened using
the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) rapid test lateral flow immune-assay kit.
Results: Of the 500 children screened for COVID-19, 32 (6.4%) tested positive, out of which 26 (5.2%) had IgG
antibodies, while five (1%) had IgM, with the other child (0.2%) having both circulating IgG and IgM antibodies.
Also, 46.9% of the COVID-19–positive children were asymptomatic without any clinical signs of the disease.
Children aged >6 y and those attending school were the most affected (p=0.002). The most common clinical
features among positive children were fever (22.6%), cough (22.2%), shortness of breath (5.8%) and loss of smell
(2.6%) and taste (2.2%). Similarly, not wearing a facemask as a preventive measure was found to be a significant
risk factor (p=0.007).
Conclusions: This study shows that children are at risk of contracting COVID-19 infection. Our study also shows
evidence of a high rate of IgG antibodies in school-aged children having close contact with infected adults, in
those not wearing facemasks, as well as in those with a family history of comorbidities.