Jared Bullard1, Duane Funk2, Kerry Dust2, Lauren Garnett2, Kaylie Tran2, Alex Bello2, James E Strong2, Santina J Lee2, Jillian Waruk2, Adam Hedley2, David Alexander2, Paul Van Caeseele2, Carla Loeppky2, Guillaume Poliquin2. 1. Cadham Provincial Laboratory (Bullard, Dust, Hedley, Alexander, Van Caeseele), Manitoba Health; Department of Pediatrics & Child Health (Bullard, Strong, Lee, Van Caeseele, Poliquin), University of Manitoba; National Microbiology Laboratory (Funk, Garnett, Tran, Bello, Strong, Poliquin), Public Health Agency of Canada; Departments of Anesthesiology and Medicine (Funk), Section of Critical Care, University of Manitoba; Department of Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (Garnett, Tran, Bello, Alexander), University of Manitoba; Communicable Disease Control, Public Health (Lee), Manitoba Health; Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (Waruk, Loeppky), Manitoba Health; Department of Community Health Science (Loeppky), University of Manitoba. Winnipeg, Man. jared.bullard@gov.mb.ca. 2. Cadham Provincial Laboratory (Bullard, Dust, Hedley, Alexander, Van Caeseele), Manitoba Health; Department of Pediatrics & Child Health (Bullard, Strong, Lee, Van Caeseele, Poliquin), University of Manitoba; National Microbiology Laboratory (Funk, Garnett, Tran, Bello, Strong, Poliquin), Public Health Agency of Canada; Departments of Anesthesiology and Medicine (Funk), Section of Critical Care, University of Manitoba; Department of Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (Garnett, Tran, Bello, Alexander), University of Manitoba; Communicable Disease Control, Public Health (Lee), Manitoba Health; Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (Waruk, Loeppky), Manitoba Health; Department of Community Health Science (Loeppky), University of Manitoba. Winnipeg, Man.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The role of children in the transmission and community spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is unclear. We aimed to quantify the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal samples from children compared with adults. METHODS: We obtained nasopharyngeal swabs from adult and pediatric cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and from their contacts who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in Manitoba between March and December 2020. We compared viral growth in cell culture, cycle threshold values from the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of the SARS-CoV-2 envelope (E) gene and the 50% tissue culture infective dose (TCID50/mL) between adults and children. RESULTS: Among 305 samples positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR, 97 samples were from children aged 10 years or younger, 78 were from children aged 11-17 years and 130 were from adults (≥ 18 yr). Viral growth in culture was present in 31% of samples, including 18 (19%) samples from children 10 years or younger, 18 (23%) from children aged 11-17 years and 57 (44%) from adults (children v. adults, odds ratio 0.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.28-0.72). The cycle threshold was 25.1 (95% CI 17.7-31.3) in children 10 years or younger, 22.2 (95% CI 18.3-29.0) in children aged 11-17 years and 18.7 (95% CI 17.9-30.4) in adults (p < 0.001). The median TCID50/mL was significantly lower in children aged 11-17 years (316, interquartile range [IQR] 178-2125) than adults (5620, IQR 1171 to 17 800, p < 0.001). Cycle threshold was an accurate predictor of positive culture in both children and adults (area under the receiver-operator curve, 0.87, 95% CI 0.81-0.93 v. 0.89, 95% CI 0.83-0.96, p = 0.6). INTERPRETATION: Compared with adults, children with nasopharyngeal swabs that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 were less likely to grow virus in culture, and had higher cycle thresholds and lower viral concentrations, suggesting that children are not the main drivers of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
BACKGROUND: The role of children in the transmission and community spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is unclear. We aimed to quantify the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal samples from children compared with adults. METHODS: We obtained nasopharyngeal swabs from adult and pediatric cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and from their contacts who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in Manitoba between March and December 2020. We compared viral growth in cell culture, cycle threshold values from the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of the SARS-CoV-2 envelope (E) gene and the 50% tissue culture infective dose (TCID50/mL) between adults and children. RESULTS: Among 305 samples positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR, 97 samples were from children aged 10 years or younger, 78 were from children aged 11-17 years and 130 were from adults (≥ 18 yr). Viral growth in culture was present in 31% of samples, including 18 (19%) samples from children 10 years or younger, 18 (23%) from children aged 11-17 years and 57 (44%) from adults (children v. adults, odds ratio 0.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.28-0.72). The cycle threshold was 25.1 (95% CI 17.7-31.3) in children 10 years or younger, 22.2 (95% CI 18.3-29.0) in children aged 11-17 years and 18.7 (95% CI 17.9-30.4) in adults (p < 0.001). The median TCID50/mL was significantly lower in children aged 11-17 years (316, interquartile range [IQR] 178-2125) than adults (5620, IQR 1171 to 17 800, p < 0.001). Cycle threshold was an accurate predictor of positive culture in both children and adults (area under the receiver-operator curve, 0.87, 95% CI 0.81-0.93 v. 0.89, 95% CI 0.83-0.96, p = 0.6). INTERPRETATION: Compared with adults, children with nasopharyngeal swabs that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 were less likely to grow virus in culture, and had higher cycle thresholds and lower viral concentrations, suggesting that children are not the main drivers of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
Authors: Angela Gentile; María Del Valle Juarez; María Florencia Lucion; María Natalia Pejito; Sofia Alexay; Ana Sofia Orqueda; Lucia Romero Bollon; Alicia Mistchenko Journal: Pediatr Infect Dis J Date: 2022-07-13 Impact factor: 3.806
Authors: Ton That Thanh; Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan; Nguyen To Anh; Le Thanh Chung; Phan Thi Thuy Duyen; Le Thi Kim Chi; Nguyen Thi Hoai Thu; Pham Thi Hieu; Dinh Van Phuc; Pham Viet Son; Dang Quang Anh; Pham Thi Nam; Nguyen Tri Thuc; Nguyen Thi Hanh; Le Thi Thuy; Le Ly Thuy Tram; Le Kim Thanh; Nguyen Thi Han Ny; Le Nguyen Truc Nhu; Nguyen Van Vinh Chau; Guy Thwaites; Tran Tan Thanh; Le Van Tan Journal: J Infect Date: 2022-01-13 Impact factor: 38.637
Authors: Sergio Alonso; Martí Català; Daniel López; Enric Álvarez-Lacalle; Iolanda Jordan; Juan José García-García; Victoria Fumadó; Carmen Muñoz-Almagro; Eduard Gratacós; Núria Balanza; Rosauro Varo; Pere Millat; Bàrbara Baro; Sara Ajanovic; Sara Arias; Joana Claverol; Mariona Fernández de Sevilla; Elisenda Bonet-Carne; Aleix Garcia-Miquel; Ermengol Coma; Manuel Medina-Peralta; Francesc Fina; Clara Prats; Quique Bassat Journal: PLoS One Date: 2022-02-16 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: David M Goldfarb; Louise C Mâsse; Allison W Watts; Sarah M Hutchison; Lauren Muttucomaroe; Else S Bosman; Vilte E Barakauskas; Alexandra Choi; Nalin Dhillon; Michael A Irvine; Frederic Reicherz; Collette O'Reilly; Sadaf Sediqi; Rui Yang Xu; Hamid R Razzaghian; Manish Sadarangani; Daniel Coombs; Sheila F O'Brien; Pascal M Lavoie Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2022-04-05 Impact factor: 2.692
Authors: Carolin Kirsten; Elisabeth Kahre; Judith Blankenburg; Leonie Schumm; Luise Haag; Lukas Galow; Manja Unrath; Paula Czyborra; Josephine Schneider; Christian Lück; Alexander H Dalpke; Reinhard Berner; Jakob Armann Journal: Infection Date: 2022-04-23 Impact factor: 7.455