Differential Infectivity of Original and Delta Variants of SARS-CoV-2 in Children Compared to Adults

Garnett, Lauren; Tse, Carmen; Funk, Duane J.; Dust, Kerry; Tran, Kaylie; Hedley, Adam; Poliquin, Guillaume; Bullard, Jared; Strong, James E.

doi:10.1128/spectrum.00395-22

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Individuals under 18 years old reported an average number of 11.27 contacts per day (Table 1 and Figure S6). The sensitivity analysis underlined a notable decrease in the elasticity of the Characterized by increased transmissibility and potential to evade vaccine-induced immunity 41,43,44 , the Delta VOC represented over 50% of the sequenced new cases at the beginning of July 2021 56,57 . Concurrently, the progress of vaccination across adult age groups, notably extending to young adults during summer 2021 52,55 , further altered the susceptibility profile of the population.…”

Section: /19mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Subsequently, research has pointed to the crucial role of the pediatric population in virus transmission, particularly in school and household settings 11,[31][32][33][34] . The emergence of more transmissible virus VOCs such as Alpha [35][36][37][38][39][40] , Delta [41][42][43][44][45] , and Omicron 35,46,47 further complicated this scenario, leading globally to an increase in virus prevalence and transmission risk within the pediatric population [34][35][36]48 . These findings became progressively clearer considering the gradual resumption of school activities and the consequent increased exposure of younger populations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Insights into the role of children in the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium: a longitudinal sensitivity analysis

Angeli,

Caetano,

Franco

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Understanding the evolving role of different age groups in virus transmission dynamics is essential for informed pandemic management. This study delves into the age-related transmission patterns of SARS-CoV-2 in Belgium from November 2020 to February 2022. We employed a next-generation matrix approach, integrating longitudinal social contact data and numerical simulations of the evolving population susceptibility. A perturbation analysis of the effective reproduction number (Rt ) underscored the age-specific transmission patterns. From November to December 2020, adults aged [18,60) were main contributors to Rt (≈ 78%), with children aged [0,12) having a marginal role (≈ 3.7%). This pattern shifted between January and March 2021, coinciding with in-person education resumption and the Alpha variant emergence; children’s contribution to Rt increased to ≈ 38%. Stringent measures in March 2021 significantly reduced transmission levels, substantially downsizing the role of the [18,30) age group. Following the summer school break, in September-October 2021, we observed a notable resurgence in children’s contribution to Rt . Our findings highlight the noteworthy and varying influence of the [0,12) age group on SARS-CoV-2 transmission, offering insights to design nuanced pandemic responses, e.g., that balance public health needs with socio-educational implications of interventions like extended school closures. Overall, this study demonstrates the effectiveness of our methodology in uncovering age-specific transmission patterns in the study of infectious disease spread.

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Section: /19mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insights into the role of children in the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium: a longitudinal sensitivity analysis

Angeli,

Caetano,

Franco

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A second study reported both RNA viral load and level of infectious virus using a semi-quantitative method (TCID 50 ) in paediatric clinical samples, which revealed that neither age nor disease severity impacted on viral load [ 7 ]. In contrast, however, others have found that children have decreased levels of viral RNA, lower infectious virus titres as measured by TCID 50 and are less likely to have virus successfully isolate in cell culture as compared to adults [ 8 ], although paediatric delta variant infections increase the culture-positive viral titres to comparable levels to adults [ 9 ]. Other work indicates that ancestral SARS-CoV-2 replicates less efficiently in both children and paediatric versus adult nasal epithelial cells, a defect that omicron was able to abolish [ 10 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Viral infectivity in paediatric SARS-CoV-2 clinical samples does not vary by age

Schmidt

Despres

Shirley

et al. 2023

Access Microbiology

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At the start of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, there was much uncertainty about the role of children in infection and transmission dynamics. Through the course of the pandemic, it became clear that children were susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, although they were experiencing a notable lack of severe disease outcomes as compared to the adult population. This trend held true with the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants, even in paediatric populations that were ineligible to be vaccinated. The difference in disease outcomes has prompted questions about the virological features of SARS-CoV-2 infection in this population. In order to determine if there was any difference in the infectivity of the virus produced by children with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we compared viral RNA levels (clinical RT-qPCR C T) and infectious virus titres from 144 SARS-CoV-2-positive clinical samples collected from children aged 0 to 18 years old. We found that age had no impact on the infectiousness of SARS-CoV-2 within our cohort, with children of all ages able to produce high levels of infectious virus.

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The Role of Children in the Transmission of SARS-CoV-2, a Shifting Paradigm

Arguedas,

Swerdlow,

Curcio

2023

Infect Dis Clin Pract

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Pediatric populations contribute to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission through a combination of exposure, susceptibility, and transmissibility. In this narrative review, SARS-CoV-2 infection in children is assessed to ascertain their role in transmission, by considering the characteristics of pediatric populations regarding their exposure and susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19, and their transmission of the virus. A series of PubMed searches were conducted between November 2020 and February 2023 to identify articles describing SARS-CoV-2 transmission in children. The literature suggests that schools are key areas of exposure of children and adolescents to SARS-CoV-2, which contributed to school closures to mitigate spread and break transmission chains. However, the effectiveness of these measures is debated. Although SARS-CoV-2 appeared to infect children and adolescents less frequently than adults early in the pandemic, infection rates have risen considerably among the pediatric population with the emergence of variants of concern. Compared with adults and populations at high risk, children generally have a milder course of disease. The predominant role of children in transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is thought to involve household and school settings, although the relative contribution of each to transmission is questioned. Through their exposure, susceptibility, and transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2, children and adolescents are a key population contributing to the transmission of the virus. Our continued and evolving understanding of the role of children in transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has important implications to define appropriate preventive and therapeutic strategies for the pediatric population and the wider community.

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Differential Infectivity of Original and Delta Variants of SARS-CoV-2 in Children Compared to Adults

Abstract: These important findings show that children may play a larger role in viral transmission of Delta than for previously circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants. Additionally, they may suggest a mechanism for why Delta has evolved to be the predominant circulating variant.

Cited by 4 publications

References 28 publications

Insights into the role of children in the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium: a longitudinal sensitivity analysis

Insights into the role of children in the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium: a longitudinal sensitivity analysis

Viral infectivity in paediatric SARS-CoV-2 clinical samples does not vary by age

The Role of Children in the Transmission of SARS-CoV-2, a Shifting Paradigm

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