SEROCoV-KIDS: a cohort focused on the citizens of tomorrow
The scientific morning of the study SEROCoV-KIDS study study opened a joint debate on 9 October on the impact and future of population cohorts of children and adolescents in Switzerland and beyond. The multidisciplinary event, held at the Maison de l'enfance et de l'adolescence co-investigators and researchers in the SEROCoV-KIDS study, Dr Marie-Aline Charles, Director of the French Longitudinal Study of the Etude Longitudinale Française depuis l'Enfance (ELFE) and Director of Research at INSERMin France, healthcare professionals from Geneva University Hospitals, and several representatives from cantonal health and youth institutions.
" Understanding today's children to anticipate the well-being of tomorrow's citizens ": this message sums up both the objectives and the potential of the SEROCoV-KIDS study. The first Swiss cohort dedicated to children and adolescents, SEROCoV-KIDS aims to assess the direct and indirect consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic since its inception in autumn 2021, and also to monitor the health and well-being over time of a representative sample of more than 2,200 children and adolescents in the canton of Geneva.
Initial results
Pre Silvia Stringhini, co-principal investigator of the study, Dr Roxane Dumont and Dr Elsa Lorthe presented the initial results of the three-year study, some of which have already been published in scientific journals and reported in the media. The presence of Dr Marie-Aline Charles opened up an inspiring international comparative perspective, reminding us of the importance of epidemiological research conducted and documented from early childhood onwards.
By assessing the contributions, limitations and potential of population-based cohorts, a multidisciplinary panel discussion highlighted the need for collaborative approaches to take action and anticipate the challenges facing the environment, health and the physical and mental well-being of future generations. Discussions highlighted the importance of stepping up research into less visible or more at-risk populations of children and young people, such as girls, young people from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds and those from the LGBTQ+ community.
Finally, a qualitative approach based on surveys and the life stories of the people taking part in the population cohorts would appear to be a valuable additional tool, not only as a method of deepening the data, but also to enhance the value of the population's experience and bring it back to society. Ultimately, the aim is to offer a representative view of the experience of populations (minority or otherwise) in terms of health and their needs.
An asset for the future
SEROCoV_KIDS is a key tool for promoting and preventing young people's health, and the first paediatric biobank in Switzerland. Although there is a lack of pre-pandemic data on children and adolescents, this data, collected at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic by means of serologies, complements and enriches thirty years of health surveillance of the canton's adult population since 1993, carried out thanks to the Bus Santé study.
As a result, SEROCoV-KIDS now offers a unique epidemiological database for observing and monitoring the occurrence and spread of risks and future diseases. It is an exceptional tool available to researchers, encouraging cross-disciplinary research at both Swiss and international level for years to come.
Watch the event online
