Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
http://hdl.handle.net/1942/35925
Title: | Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 After COVID-19 Screening and Mitigation Measures for Primary School Children Attending School in Liege, Belgium | Authors: | Meuris, Christelle KREMER, Cécile Geerinck, Anton Locquet, Medea Bruyere, Olivier Defeche, Justine Meex, Cecile Hayette, Marie-Pierre Duchene, Loic Dellot, Patricia Azarzar, Samira Marechal, Nicole Sauvage, Anne-Sophie Frippiat, Frederic Giot, Jean-Baptiste Leonard, Philippe Fombellida, Karine Moutschen, Michel Durkin, Keith Artesi, Maria Bours, Vincent FAES, Christel HENS, Niel Darcis, Gilles |
Issue Date: | 2021 | Publisher: | AMER MEDICAL ASSOC | Source: | JAMA NETWORK OPEN, 4 (10) ,(Art N° e2128757) | Abstract: | IMPORTANCE Recent data suggest a relatively low incidence of COVID-19 among children. The possible role that children attending primary school may play in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 remains poorly understood. OBJECTIVE To gain a better understanding of the possible role of children in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This prospective cohort study was conducted from September 21 to December 31, 2020, in a primary school in Liege, Belgium, among a volunteer sample of 181 children, parents, and school employees. EXPOSURES Participants were tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection once a week for 15 weeks through throat washing, performed with 5 mL of saline and collected in a sterile tube after approximately 30 seconds of gargling. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect SARS-CoV-2 infection. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES In case of test positivity, participants were asked to complete a questionnaire aimed at determining the timing of symptom onset and symptom duration. SARS-CoV-2 genetic sequencing was also performed. Confirmed cases were linked based on available information on known contacts and viral sequences. RESULTS A total of 181 individuals participated in this study, including 63 children (34 girls [54.0%]; mean [SD] age, 8.6 [1.9] years [range, 5-13 years]) and 118 adults (75 women [63.6%]; mean [SD] age, 42.5 [5.7] years [range, 30-59 years]). Forty-five individuals (24.9%) tested positive: 13 children (20.6%; 95% CI, 10.6%-30.6%) and 32 adults (27.1%; 95% CI, 19.1%-35.7%) (P = .34). Children were more often asymptomatic compared with adults (6 [46.2%; 95% CI, 19.1%-73.3%] vs 4 of 31 [12.9%; 95% CI, 1.3%-24.5%]; P = .04). The median duration of symptoms was shorter in children than in adults (0.00 days [IQR, 0.00-1.00 days] vs 15.00 days [IQR, 7.00-22.00 days]). A reconstruction of the outbreak revealed that most transmission events occurred between teachers and between children within the school. Of the observed household transmission events, most seemed to have originated from a child or teacher who acquired the infection at school. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Despite the implementation of several mitigation measures, the incidence of COVID-19 among children attending primary school in this study was comparable to that observed among teachers and parents. Transmission tree reconstruction suggests that most transmission events originated from within the school. Additional measures should be considered to reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 at school, including intensified testing. | Notes: | Meuris, C (corresponding author), Liege Univ Hosp, Dept Infect Dis, Ave Hop 1, B-4000 Liege, Belgium. cmeuris@chuliege.be; gdarcis@chuliege.be |
Keywords: | Adolescent;Adult;Asymptomatic Infections;Belgium;COVID-19;Child;Child, Preschool;Contact Tracing;Disease Outbreaks;Female;Humans;Incidence;Logistic Models;Male;Middle Aged;Prospective Studies;School Teachers;Schools;COVID-19 Testing;Mass Screening | Document URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/1942/35925 | ISSN: | 2574-3805 | e-ISSN: | 2574-3805 | DOI: | 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.28757 | ISI #: | WOS:000707431200004 | Rights: | Open Access. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the CC-BY License. | Category: | A1 | Type: | Journal Contribution | Validations: | ecoom 2022 |
Appears in Collections: | Research publications |
Files in This Item:
File | Description | Size | Format | |
---|---|---|---|---|
meuris_2021_oi_210838_1633035195.09961.pdf | Published version | 892.4 kB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
WEB OF SCIENCETM
Citations
33
checked on Oct 13, 2024
Page view(s)
32
checked on Sep 7, 2022
Download(s)
8
checked on Sep 7, 2022
Google ScholarTM
Check
Altmetric
Items in DSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.