Many schools in Massachusetts will reopen next month. Teachers and parents are on the verge of the big unknown: how much the coronavirus will spread in schools.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, it has been said that the virus does not affect children as much as adults – that children, for the most part, do not become so ill and do not transmit the virus as easily.
But a new study from Massachusetts General Hospital has found that children carry a lot of the virus in their system – even when they appear healthy. The study did not see how much the youth transmitted the virus, but lead author of the study Dr. Lael Yonker says the viral load generally matches how infected someone is.
The study enrolled 192 pediatric patients from less than one year old to 22. Research studies came to the health care facilities for evaluation of possible COVID-19 symptoms or due to exposure to a person with the coronavirus. Ninety tests positive; another 18 were diagnosed with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), which is associated with the coronavirus.
WBUR’s All viewed host Lisa Mullins talks to Dr. Yonker, a pediatric pulmonologist at MGH.
Highlights of interview
You said you were surprised by what you and your colleagues found in terms of how much coronavirus these children had in their airways. What surprises you?
“We were very surprised here. We quantified the amount of virus and then compared it with adults who were in the ICU hospital. And we found that the children had significantly higher levels of virus than these adults in the ICU. And when you think of the ICUs in hospitals, especially during the height of the pandemic, you have people with full covers, masks, face shields, all these protections in place – while these kids were running with significantly higher viral loads [without such precautions being taken]. And that was very surprising and alarming to us.
“I think the fact that the viral load is so high in that early stage of illness – sometimes before children even have symptoms – is just awful to know that this is when they are potentially most [infectious]. “
Does a higher viral load like these kids who did your tests mean … do they mean they can spread the phytus more and spread it as much as adults?
“We did not look for traces of contacts. We did not look for specific transmission from one individual to another … In general, higher viral loads in air secretions correspond to how infectious [you are], or how likely you are to spread the virus to other people.
“It is difficult to say who is more or less likely to spread the virus. But I think we need to assume that these high viral loads are contagious, and appropriate precautions must be taken to minimize the potential spread of the virus back to the families than to older people who are much more at risk of developing severe COVID complications. “
That you are worried about the families – I would assume especially for the children as well as young people living in multi-generational homes, as we know many, and therefore putting some of the older members of the family at risk. When we talk about reopening schools, what should districts do with this information?
“I think policymakers need to determine what makes the most sense for their communities, and families need to make decisions about what makes the most sense for their individual families. But of course, security should be a top priority and measures need to be put in place, such as social distance, limiting large groups, implementing some distance learning, [and] absolutely wearing mask for children of all ages. [Our research shows] that no child is less likely to carry many loads of virus than any other age group. So all children should wear masks and wear them well, covering with the nose and mouth.
“If schools open and children interact more and collect more, if we do not take proper precautionary measures … the children could potentially ride a next wave of COVID.”
Feel your confidence in that statement, seeing the relatively small sampling of [children] did you test
“I think with COVID it’s better to be cautious than cavalier. And so, I think the precautionary measures that need to be put in place are not dramatic precautionary measures. They are what is recommended for the general public. And, therefore, masks for all children who are going to go to school or daycare, social distance as well as possible.I think these things are important at every meeting … I think knowing that the viral burdens can be quite high and high viral burdens can be leading to the spread of the infection, I think it’s better to go wrong on the side of caution in a pandemic and then adjust as necessary. But … I’m worried. And we’ve seen you “I know, the pandemic has spread really dramatically and people are getting pretty sick. So I think it’s worth the effort to be safe.”
