According to new research, infected children under the age of 5 can carry up to 100 times as much coronavirus in their nose and throat as adults, while older children carry at least as much as adults.
That despite showing mild symptoms, the study found, published Thursday in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.
Scientists looked at swab samples from 95 children, most of whom reported low-grade fever or cough, in the Chicago area. The study does not prove that infected children are contagious, however, the authors believe it should be considered in the debate over reopening schools.
“The school situation is very complicated, there are many nuances beyond the scientist,” said Dr. Taylor Heald-Sargent, an infectious disease expert at Ann Children’s Hospital and Robert H. Lurie, who led the study at the New York Times. .
“But one conclusion of this is that we cannot assume that just because the children are not getting sick, or very sick, that they do not have the virus.”
Heald-Sargent added that “it would not be surprising if [kids] We were able to remove the virus and spread it to others.
The study also did not specify the race of the participants or whether they had underlying conditions. Still, experts called it an important starting point.
“I heard many people say, ‘Well, children are not susceptible, children are not infected.’ And this clearly shows that this is not true, “Stacey Schultz-Cherry, a virologist at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, told The Times.
“I think this is an important, very important, first step in understanding the role that children play in transmission.”
During the study, the researchers tested nasopharyngeal swabs delivered by driving through test sites near Chicago between March 23 and April 27.
The results echo those of a German study, which showed that children who had no symptoms had viral loads as high as adults.
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