Role of children in household transmission of COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: Transmissibility of COVID-19 by children in the household is not clear. Herein, we describe children's role in household transmission of COVID-19. DESIGN AND
SETTING: All paediatric COVID-19 index cases and their household members reported from 20 January to 6 April 2020 in South Korea were reviewed. The secondary attack rate (SAR) from child index case to household secondary case was calculated. Epidemiological and clinical findings of child index case-household secondary case pair was assessed.
RESULTS: A total of 107 paediatric COVID-19 index cases and 248 of their household members were identified. One pair of paediatric index-secondary household case was identified, giving a household SAR of 0.5% (95% CI 0.0% to 2.6%). The index case was self-quarantined at home after international travel, stayed in her room, but shared a meal table with the secondary case.
CONCLUSION: The SAR from children to household members was low in the setting of social distancing, underscoring the importance of rigorous contact tracing and early isolation in limiting transmission within households. © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.