Thursday, March 28, 2024
ADVT 
National

Kids less likely to transmit COVID-19 virus: study

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 09 Apr, 2021 07:54 PM
  • Kids less likely to transmit COVID-19 virus: study

Canadian researchers say children may be less infectious than adults with the COVID-19 virus, suggesting daycares, schools and extracurricular activities could continue with appropriate precautions in place.

Lead investigator Dr. Jared Bullard, an associate professor of pediatrics and infectious diseases at the University of Manitoba, says the findings suggest child care workers, teachers and support staff may be at lower risk of becoming infected.

The research published Friday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal involved 175 children and 130 adults in Manitoba infected with SARS-CoV-2 to see if there was a difference in infectiousness between the two groups.

Cell cultures of swabs from the back of the nose and throat were obtained from children and adults who tested positive for the virus and from their contacts who were also infected between March and December 2020.

Of the total samples used to investigate viral loads, 97 were collected from children aged 10 or younger, 78 were from those between the ages of 11 and 17 and 130 were from adults.

Results showed that compared with adults, children were less likely to grow virus in culture and had lower viral concentrations, suggesting they are not the main drivers of transmission.

"Our findings have important public health and clinical implications," Bullard says in a statement.

"As an increasing number of jurisdictions consider whether in-school learning, daycares and extracurricular activities should continue or resume, a better understanding of the relative contributions of children and adolescents to SARS-CoV-2 transmission, when compared with adults, is essential," the authors say.

"This is particularly important given the increased likelihood of asymptomatic infection in this group."

Given the difficulties in keeping children isolated at home and the significant impact of prolonged isolation on both child development and parents who may lose employment or income, a robust tool to decrease the length or need for quarantine would be an important public health development, they say in the study.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

Nearly 1 million in B.C. have gotten COVID-19 shot

Nearly 1 million in B.C. have gotten COVID-19 shot
A joint statement from provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix says 946,096 doses of the three vaccines have been administered, and of those, more than 87,000 were second doses.

Nearly 1 million in B.C. have gotten COVID-19 shot

997 COVID19 cases for Wednesday

997 COVID19 cases for Wednesday
There are currently 3,766 confirmed COVID-19 cases that are variants of concern in our province.

997 COVID19 cases for Wednesday

Officers discover party in downtown apartment

Officers discover party in downtown apartment
Numerous violation tickets were issued to the party-goers, including a $2,300 fine for the party host.

Officers discover party in downtown apartment

B.C. traffic stops not done by police impersonator

B.C. traffic stops not done by police impersonator
Police say a review of each incident allowed investigators to determine the four stops were carried out by a traffic enforcement officer who was on duty, dressed in uniform and operating an unmarked SUV.

B.C. traffic stops not done by police impersonator

B.C. under-reporting COVID-19 variants: experts

B.C. under-reporting COVID-19 variants: experts
Sarah Otto, a University of British Columbia professor who has done COVID-19 modelling, said the province's reliance on time-consuming whole-genome sequencing to confirm variant cases is not necessary.

B.C. under-reporting COVID-19 variants: experts

Vancouver expands overdose response team

Vancouver expands overdose response team
Mayor Kennedy Stewart says a "very important" pilot program that paired firefighters with staff from Vancouver Coastal Health will stay in place to help people break the cycle of overdoses by connecting them with support services.

Vancouver expands overdose response team