A new study, published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, adds to evidence that young children are not “super-spreaders” of SARS-CoV-2.
Researchers measured SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among roughly 300 children under age 5 years and 200 staff members at 22 daycare centers that had coronavirus mitigation measures in place during the French lockdown from March to May 2020. The children’s parents were healthcare or other essential workers.
SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was 3.7% for children. For staff, the seroprevalence was 6.8%, which is similar to the rate in a comparator group of healthcare staff who didn’t have direct contact with COVID-19 patients.
Compared with children who tested negative, those who tested positive were six times more likely to have a parent who tested positive. Among staff members, there was no increase in SARS-CoV-2 infection risk after exposure to a child with confirmed COVID-19, but the risk was increased 13-fold when they lived with an adult with COVID-19.
By Kelly Young