Kids have a similar probability of contracting COVID-19, according to a study just out in Jama Pediatrics. However, they are far less likely to show symptoms per a summary CNN Health published October 8, 2021. With kids almost likely as adults to get COVID-19, does this mean we are equally likely to catch it from them? This is a most important question.
What We Know So Far from the Jama Pediatrics Study
The researchers conducted their study among adults and children living in Utah and New York City. The evidence before them convinced them kids are almost likely as adults to get COVID-19. However, they only show symptoms ‘about half the time’.
CNN Health interviewed Dr. Flor Munoz who wrote an editorial about the finding. She is pediatric infectious disease specialist at Texas Children’s Hospital, and associate professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine.
‘Our study demonstrates … children of all ages including infants and toddlers have had a similar risk of SARS- CoV-2 infection all this time. The fact that children, and especially young children, can transmit SARS-CoV-2 causing COVID-19 is now established and more clearly understood’.
Where Next If Kids Are Almost Likely as Adults to Get COVID-19
Dr. Flor Munoz believes this finding is important for pandemic control efforts, as well as vaccine and therapeutics research. The publication comes a day after Pfizer and BioNTech lodged a formal request for an extension of vaccine emergency approval. They suggest including kids aged 5 to 11. Although the doses would be smaller.
‘Our findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection prevention strategies, such as handwashing, masking, physical distancing, and COVID-19 vaccination should target children in addition to adults,’ the report concludes. ‘To both mitigate individual health outcomes for children, and reduce the overall burden of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the community.’
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