JAMA Pediatr: Studies reveal that children are equally susceptible to the spread of COVID19.

1,2020 // --- a study by Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago found that children under 5 years of age with mild to moderate COVID-19 have significantly higher levels of genetic material in the nasal cavity than older children and adults.
published in JAMA Pediatrics, the study suggests that the smallest children are just as likely to spread the virus as children of other ages.
the ability of young children to transmit COVID-19 may not be fully understood, given the rapid and sustained closure of schools and day care during the pandemic. "We found that children under 5 years of age had higher viral loads in children and adults than older children and adults, which may indicate a greater transmission pathway, as we saw in RSV," said lead author Taylor Heald-Sargent of the
.
this is of great public health importance, especially in the discussion of the safety of reopening schools and day care.
" (photo: www.pixabay.com) Dr Heald-Sargent and colleagues analyzed 145 cases of mild to moderate COVID-19 disease during the first week of the onset of symptoms.
they compared the viral load in three age groups - children under 5 years of age, children aged 5-17 and adults aged 18-65. Dr Heald-Sargent,
, said: "Our study is not intended to prove that younger children transmit as much COVID-19 as adults, but it is possible.
"As we continue to understand the virus, we need to take this into account in our efforts to reduce transmission."
" (Bioon.com) Source: Young Kids Spread Can COVID-19 as Much as Children and Adults, Suggests Original Source: Taylor Heald-Sargent, William J. Muller, Xiaotian Zheng, Jason Rippee, Ami B Patel, Larry K. Koko. Age-Related Differences in Nasophyngeal Severe Acute Severe Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Levels in Patients With Mild to Moderate Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). JAMAs Pediatrics, July 30, 2020; DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.3651.