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THURSDAY, July 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Young children with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 have higher amounts of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral RNA in their nasopharynx than older children and adults, according to a research letter published online July 30 in JAMA Pediatrics<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Taylor Heald-Sargent, M.D., Ph.D., from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, and colleagues compared three groups of patients with mild-to-moderate illness within one week of symptom onset who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2: 46 young children (<5 years), 51 older children (aged 5 to 17 years), and 48 adults (aged 18 to 65 years). Polymerase chain reaction amplification cycle threshold (CT) values were recorded; lower values indicated higher amounts of viral nucleic acid.<\/p>\n
The researchers found that the median CT values were similar for older children and adults (11.1 and 11.0, respectively), while values were lower for young children (6.5). These differences approximate a 10- to 100-fold greater amount of SARS-CoV-2 in the upper respiratory tract of young children. In the overall cohort and each subgroup, there was a very weak correlation between symptom duration and CT.<\/p>\n
“Thus, young children can potentially be important drivers of SARS-CoV-2 spread in the general population, as has been demonstrated with respiratory syncytial virus, where children with high viral loads are more likely to transmit,” the authors write.<\/p>\n
Several authors disclosed financial ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.<\/p>\n