In a new study, researchers found that children typically only show mild symptoms if infected, but they can shed the coronavirus long after symptoms disappear.
The finding suggests that it is wise to temporarily close schools.
The research was conducted by a team at Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center.
Across the United States, local school districts have been temporarily suspending classroom activity, instead opting for online, at-home instruction.
In the study, the team examined 745 Chinese babies and children.
The kids ranged in age from 2 months to 15 years, and all had experienced close contact with diagnosed [COVID-19] patients or were members of families with reported familial outbreaks.
The team found just 10 children (1.3%) ended up testing positive for the new coronavirus.
All were admitted to a treatment center—not because they were overly sick, but because testing of families affected by coronavirus had brought their infection to light.
Moreover, none of the 10 kids developed severe symptoms. Seven developed a fever, but none of the fevers exceeded 39 degrees Celsius (102.2 Fahrenheit).
The children showed some instances of coughing, sore throat and nasal congestion, but none of the other symptoms commonly seen in adult patients, such as muscle ache and headache.
Chest X-rays showed no signs of pneumonia in any of the children.
The team also found that many children might be asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic vectors of transmission for the coronavirus as they come into contact with more vulnerable adults.
And that risk of transmission may occur over a longer time than was suspected.
That’s because even after swabs of the previously infected children’s noses and throats came up negative for coronavirus, tests of their stool continue to show signs of the virus.
The findings might have implications for precautions such as length of quarantine.
According to the team, quarantine timings are currently assessed through the use of nose or throat swabs; however, these results suggest that gastrointestinal-tract testing may help to provide more accurate assessments of treatment effectiveness and recovery.
The lead author of the study is Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency medicine physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
The study is published in Nature Medicine.
Copyright © 2020 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
