Are children really contagious? Corona working group clarifies

Corona Task Force Clears Up Confusion About Infection Frequency Among Children

Children have antibodies to the virus as often as adults. According to the Covid task force, this does not always mean that they are infected and could have transmitted the virus.

Sabine Kuster / ch media

The first Corona-Immunitas study “Ciao Corona” was published in late September and showed: Children have developed antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 as often as the adult population in which they live. The large Zurich study also agrees with the Geneva lab results.

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However, the “Policy Brief”, which the Corona task force published on children last week, said: “Previous scientific findings indicate that children under 12 years of age are at lower risk than adults of transmitting SARS. -CoV-2 or themselves become infected with it and develop less virulent symptoms. “

How can it be that children have antibodies as often as adults, but are infected with them less often?

According to Marcel Tanner, a member of the task force, there is a scenario in which antibodies are likely to develop, but the virus cannot spread in the body: that is, if coronaviruses have already defended themselves on the mucous membrane. This would probably also produce antibodies as an immune response, but this is not an infection. “This is known from other infectious diseases, but has yet to be confirmed with the coronavirus,” says Tanner. Furthermore, children also appear to have fewer receptors on their cells that are necessary for infection.

However, it is more likely that children are already infected, but this in the family, where they are in close contact with parents and the chances of infection are greater than in the school environment.

Children’s Policy Letter Delayed

Tanner does not hide the fact that he is not entirely satisfied with the current formulation: “The Children’s Policy Report was completed a month ago and then went through an extensive consultation process.”

Now, however, all the questions about the children and Corona will be reviewed in full in January, including the latest studies, national and international. “It’s important to us that people don’t jump to the wrong conclusions,” says Tanner. The main statement did not change and was supported by the second “Ciao Corona” study published yesterday: In elementary schools, surprisingly, there are rarely concentrations of infection. (bzbasel.ch)