Children With No COVID-19 Symptoms May Be More Contagious Than Sick Adults, Study Finds

A study in the Journal of Pediatrics found children infected with COVID-19 — even those with mild or no symptoms — can have a significantly higher level of the pathogen in their airways than adult patients in intensive care, which can boost the risk of transmitting the virus to others, reports K5 News . "We should not discount children as potential spreaders for this virus," said Massachusetts General Hospital's (MGH) Alessio Fasano. The researchers looked at 192 children and young adults ranging in age from zero to 22. Forty-nine subjects were positive for COVID-19 and 18 others had late-onset illnesses related to the virus. Data indicates that even though young children have fewer immune receptors than older children and adults, they can still carry a high viral load, and can be more contagious irrespective of their susceptibility to developing COVID-19. "You think of a hospital, and of all of the precautions taken to treat severely ill adults, but the viral loads of these hospitalized patients are significantly lower than a 'healthy child' who is walking around with a high SARS-CoV-2 viral load," said MGH's Lael Yonker. The authors recommend that schools highlight universal mask use, social distancing, hand washing, and a mix of remote and in-person learning, as well as routine screening of students for the virus.