COVID-19 household transmission is high, with children being a
significant source of spread, study finds
Date:
April 12, 2022
Source:
University of Ottawa
Summary:
A study indicates that SARS-CoV-2 spreads extensively in
households, with children being a significant source of that
spread. Approximately 50 percent of household members were infected
from the first-infected individual during the study period. Although
kids were less likely to spread the virus compared to adults,
children and adults were equally likely to become infected from
the first-infected individual.
FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A study released today indicates that SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes
COVID- 19) spreads extensively in households, with children being
a significant source of that spread. Approximately 50% of household
members were infected from the first-infected individual during the study period. Although kids were less likely to spread the virus compared to
adults, children and adults were equally likely to become infected from
the first-infected individual.
==========================================================================
The antibody surveillance study "Household transmission of SARS-CoV-2
from unvaccinated asymptomatic and symptomatic household members with
confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection" published in CMAJ Open (Canadian Medical Association Journal)included 695 participants from 180 households
in Ottawa between September 2020 and March 2021. The study included
households with at least one member having had a confirmed COVID-19
infection, and each participating household enrolled had at least one
child within their household.
"Our study was conducted when we were dealing with a less transmissible
virus and pandemic restrictions were strongly in place, and we still
had a 50% transmission rate within households. Flash forward to where
we are today with an extremely transmissible variant of COVID-19 and the majority of pandemic restrictions lifted; it's safe to say transmission
rates will be higher even though we have a high vaccination rate amongst
those who are eligible," said Dr. Maala Bhatt, the study's lead author
and Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Faculty of Medicine.
"I know many want to 'live with COVID' and abandon the layers of
protection that were previously mandated, but it's important to be aware
of the high transmissibility of this virus in closed, indoor settings,
such as schools. Our most vulnerable and our youngest children who are
not yet able to be vaccinated are still at risk for COVID infection."
The level of COVID-19 in Eastern Ontario is on the rise. The COVID-19 wastewater viral signal in Ottawa is at record levels. In addition, test
per cent positivity across the region is high, according to regional
public health units. In recent weeks, the number of COVID-19 positive admissions to CHEO has been approaching the levels seen in January
and early February. Three-quarters of all children admitted to CHEO
with COVID-19 have come during the Omicron wave. Since the beginning of
January one in three of the roughly 4,900 monthly visits to the Emergency Department were for symptoms associated with COVID-19.
The study hypothesized that children would act as "an even greater
source of spread within households with the emergence of more infectious variants." Children also have "considerable potential to spread"
in settings such as school and daycare, where they congregate indoors
for long periods, especially now when masking is not required in many jurisdictions.
"While we're lucky hospitals aren't currently overloaded, emergency
departments are and positivity rates are on the rise, even amongst
children," said Dr.
Bhatt, pediatric emergency physician and Director of Emergency Medicine Research at CHEO and an Investigator at the CHEO Research Institute.
"We continue to learn more about COVID-19 and its potential long-term
health impacts, and we still aren't clear about how long immunity lasts;
these are all things researchers continue to study. As significant
COVID-19 transmission continues within households and throughout the
community, it's important to continue doing what you can to keep yourself
and those around you safe -- mask while indoors, wash your hands, get vaccinated with all the doses you are eligible for, stay home if you're
sick, and limit close contacts." The Ottawa families who participated
were integral to this study, as well as the Langlois Laboratory at
the University of Ottawa, led by Dr. Marc-Andre' Langlois, Executive
Director of CoVaar-Net. Funding for this study came from the Ontario
COVID-19 Rapid Research Fund, PSI Foundation and Children's Hospital
Academic Medical Organization (CHAMO) Innovation Fund.
========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Ottawa. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.
========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Maala Bhatt, Amy C. Plint, Ken Tang, Richard Malley, Anne Pham Huy,
Candice McGahern, Jennifer Dawson, Martin Pelchat, Lauren
Dawson, Terry Varshney, Corey Arnold, Yannick Galipeau, Michael
Austin, Nisha Thampi, Fuad Alnaji, Marc-Andre' Langlois, Roger
L. Zemek. Household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from unvaccinated
asymptomatic and symptomatic household members with confirmed
SARS-CoV-2 infection: an antibody-surveillance study. CMAJ Open,
2022; 10 (2): E357 DOI: 10.9778/cmajo.20220026 ==========================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220412140946.htm
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