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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,707
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Children are Silent Spreaders of Covid Virus

 

BOSTON - In the most comprehensive study of COVID-19 pediatric patients to date, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Mass General Hospital for Children (MGHfC) researchers provide critical data showing that children play a larger role in the community spread of COVID-19 than previously thought. In a study of 192 children ages 0-22, 49 children tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, and an additional 18 children had late-onset, COVID-19-related illness. The infected children were shown to have a significantly higher level of virus in their airways than hospitalized adults in ICUs for COVID-19 treatment.

 

"I was surprised by the high levels of virus we found in children of all ages, especially in the first two days of infection," says Lael Yonker, MD, director of the MGH Cystic Fibrosis Center and lead author of the study, "Pediatric SARS-CoV-2: Clinical Presentation, Infectivity, and Immune Reponses," published in the Journal of Pediatrics. "I was not expecting the viral load to be so high. You think of a hospital, and of all of the precautions taken to treat severely ill adults, but the viral loads of these hospitalized patients are significantly lower than a 'healthy child' who is walking around with a high SARS-CoV-2 viral load."

 

Transmissibility or risk of contagion is greater with a high viral load. And even when children exhibit symptoms typical of COVID-19, like fever, runny nose and cough, they often overlap with common childhood illnesses, including influenza and the common cold. This confounds an accurate diagnosis of COVID-19, the illness derived from the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, says Yonker. Along with viral load, researchers examined expression of the viral receptor and antibody response in healthy children, children with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection and a smaller number of children with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C).

 

MORE:  https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-08/mgh-rsc081720.php

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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,213
Registered: ‎03-30-2014

Re: Children are Silent Spreaders of Covid Virus

Surprise!!!!

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,835
Registered: ‎03-15-2010

Re: Children are Silent Spreaders of Covid Virus

Is it any wonder  teachers opt for remote learning this fall?  

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,565
Registered: ‎09-15-2016

Re: Children are Silent Spreaders of Covid Virus

22 is a child? Ridiculous.

Honored Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Children are Silent Spreaders of Covid Virus


@kitcat51 wrote:

22 is a child? Ridiculous.


@kitcat51 OH NO!  I was a child bride!  Woman Embarassed

 

I am not surprised.  Don't kids pick up things like crazy?  Haven't they always? 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 33,580
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Children are Silent Spreaders of Covid Virus

[ Edited ]

My issue with this is they only tested 192 children and 49 tested positive.  That's 25%.  I'm not sure how this is so shocking.  

 

I'm not a doctor but this doesn't seem like a very large study.  

 

Kids have always been known to be little germ factories.  

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,304
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Children are Silent Spreaders of Covid Virus

and why is that a huge surprise???? Kids are germ factories--- period end of story---I worked in a preschool for 8 years and got sick EVERY single month from some bug a kid brought to class. why wouldn't they spread this virus????? I had 2 kids too that got sick and I got it from them as well. I would not send my kids to school.Such a hard decision to make but the consequences are far worse.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 65,680
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Children are Silent Spreaders of Covid Virus


@kitcat51 wrote:

22 is a child? Ridiculous.


Yep... I was sort of wondering about that upper age limit too... I believe by almost any standard, childhood ends at 18 at the latest.. Technically, childhood ends when adolescence begins, but I believe one might still be considered a child until 18...


In my pantry with my cupcakes...
Honored Contributor
Posts: 65,680
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Children are Silent Spreaders of Covid Virus


@Lipstickdiva wrote:

My issue with this is they only tested 192 children and 49 tested positive.  That's 25%.  I'm not sure how this is so shocking.  

 

I'm not a doctor but this doesn't seem like a very large study.  

 

Kids have always been known to be little germ factories.  


I agree. I'm beginning to wonder if 'science' or, more accurately, those who purportedly engage in it, simply want to have their name appear on any study related to this virus, because it certainly seems that a lot of the research being reported is minimally useful and not often ground breaking... When 'science' can report research that's useful in the treatment and prevention of this virus, then I want to hear about it... Telling us that children are potential carriers means very little and hardly points toward any means of controlling the virus other than to tell us to avoid children as much as is possible, which for many isn't feasible... 


In my pantry with my cupcakes...
Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,967
Registered: ‎09-12-2013

Re: Children are Silent Spreaders of Covid Virus


@stevieb wrote:

@kitcat51 wrote:

22 is a child? Ridiculous.


Yep... I was sort of wondering about that upper age limit too... I believe by almost any standard, childhood ends at 18 at the latest.. Technically, childhood ends when adolescence begins, but I believe one might still be considered a child until 18...


When my son turned 18, he was no longer able to be seen by his Pediatric NP. He had to be scheduled to see a regular MD or PA. 

So this is odd that they included 18-22 year olds.