What we know about kids and transmission

We’ve seen that children appear to develop less severe disease, but we’re still trying to understand their role in the transmission of the novel coronavirus.

A new study last week found that children younger than 5 have between 10 and 100 times more genetic material from the novel coronavirus in their noses compared to older children and to adults. The study was small and looked at just 145 people up to age 65. The findings don’t necessarily translate to transmission, but no doubt brings up the question that there is real potential for children to transmit.

Another report last week from the CDC took a close look at an outbreak at an overnight summer camp in Georgia. About 600 kids attended the camp along with about 250 staffers. While counselors and staff members wore masks, campers didn’t. The campers bunked together and frequently were cheering and singing loudly. Kids had only been at camp for four days when the camp had to shut down and send campers home. At least 44% of campers and counselors became infected, and the youngest children between the ages of 6-10 were the most likely to get infected.

All of this continues to raise the question of what role kids play in transmitting the virus, especially as we see some schools around the country return in a face-to-face teaching model. There are so many questions that parents, scientists and teachers alike all have. The one thing we all know: We can help prevent outbreaks like at the Georgia camp by all wearing masks.