London, Gatra.com – Children who catch the coronavirus in day care or who are placed with their relatives can transmit the Covid-19 virus, just like adults.
According to a new report which confirms that children can become carriers of germs and infect others.
The Associated Press reported on Friday (12/9) that scientists already know that children can spread the virus. But the study, published Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, definitively shows – in a way that previous research has done – the potential for transmission to family members could be faster, “said Harvard University infectious disease researcher William Hanage.
This finding does not mean that schools and child care programs should be shut down, but it does ensure that the virus can spread in places and then be carried home by children.
Experts say masks, disinfection and social distancing are needed. And people working in such facilities should be careful and if necessary have them tested if they think they may be infected.
Previously, research from the US, China and Europe has found that children are less likely than adults to be infected with the virus and are less likely to become seriously ill when they are sick.
There is also data showing that young children do not spread the virus very often, although older children are believed to spread it as easily as adults.
In the latest study, researchers from Utah and the CDC focused on three outbreaks – Salt Lake City child care between April and July. Two are parenting programs for toddlers, and the other is a camp for older children. The average age of children in the three programs was about 7 years.
At two facilities, investigators were able to confirm that infected adult workers unknowingly introduced the virus.
Researchers found that the study concluded 12 children contracted the coronavirus at the facility, and passed it on to at least 12 of the 46 parents or siblings they had contact at home. Three of the infected children had no symptoms, and one of them passed it on to their parents who were then hospitalized for COVID-19.
Such a rate of spread – about 25 percent – is equivalent to a study of household dispersal, involving both children and adults. It also suggests that children without symptoms, or very mild symptoms, can spread the infection, just like adults.
Hanage warned that it was unclear whether the findings across the three programs had broad applicability. The study did not involve genetic analysis of individual infections which might provide a clearer picture of how the disease is spread.
But many infected children have mild disease and testing for children is very limited, so it is more than 25 percent likely that outside contacts are infected.
Pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, UK, Dr. David Kimberlin said the epidemic could get worse and more complicated this fall.
“This should serve as a warning to all of us that we must be diligent and all do our part,” he said.
Editor: Anthony Djafar
–
