Children, adults equally vulnerable to coronavirus infection, but children less likely to become sick

 

 https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/933310

 

 News Release 1-Nov-2021
Study shows relatively high rate of household transmission when at least one member is infected.
Peer-Reviewed Publication
University of Utah Health

 

 New research addresses the misconception that children are less susceptible to infection with the new coronavirus. According to a recent report in JAMA Pediatrics, children and adults have similar risks of becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2, but a much larger proportion of infected children do not show symptoms of COVID-19. When one household member is infected, there is a 52% chance they will transmit it to at least one other person with whom they live.

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The study showed that:

• Children and adults 18 years and older had similar rates of infection.
• Children in different age groups (birth to 4 years; 5 to 11 years; 12 to 17 years) also had similar rates of infection. Infection rates in each group were between 4.4 to 6.3/1,000 person-weeks.
• About half of the cases in children were symptomatic, compared with 88% of adult cases.
• In households with one or more infected individuals, the overall average household infection risk was 52%.
• The mean household infection risk was 40% in Utah and 80% in New York City.

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