Low risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in day care centers for children and educators

A team of German scientists have tested children and staff at several daycare centers in Hessen, Germany, to detect the prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. did.

Their findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infections rarely occur in day care centers, and therefore these centers should not be considered potential reservoirs of the virus. Research is currently medRxiv* Preprint server.

Since the advent of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in 2019, much research has been done to identify susceptible individuals at high risk of developing severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. Most of these studies show that older people are very susceptible to severe infections, but preschool children are most often low-risk populations in that they develop severe infections. Is considered.

However, the closure of schools and day care centers during the blockade at the onset of COVID-19 in Germany has been shown to adversely affect the overall well-being of children. Children with low socio-economic background and children with special education needs (SEN) are believed to be significantly affected by the limited access to education associated with blockade measures.

Children infected with SARS-CoV-2 remain almost asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, so they unknowingly infect caregivers, teachers, and peers while attending school or day care centers. There is a possibility. Therefore, it is generally believed that children with unobtrusive signs and symptoms should be frequently tested for possible viral infections to help break the transmission chain.

Current research design

The· SAFE-KiDS-Survey Conducted by researchers at the University of Goethe, the German Center for Infection Research, the Fraunhofer Institute, and the Hessen Department of Medical Research (HLPUG) for early detection of SARS-CoV-2 infections at day care centers. Hessen, Germany, using both respiratory (buccal mucosal swab) and gastrointestinal (anal swab) samples. Scientists did not use nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swab samples to collect these samples because this approach requires careful supervision by a medical professional. In contrast, buccal mucosa and anal swabs can be easily collected by parents from their children.

Scientists have identified 825 children (age range: 3 months to 8 years) and 372 staff (ages) from 50 day care centers throughout the state for respiratory and gastrointestinal drainage of SARS-CoV-2. Range: 19-64 years old) tested. They conducted weekly tests for 12 weeks.

Government regulations did not allow children and staff with symptoms of respiratory infections, except for runny nose, to enter the day care center. Children and staff from family members with possible or symptomatic contact were also excluded from the center. However, it was not mandatory for children and staff to wear masks.

Important findings

Scientists tested a total of 7,366 buccal mucosal swabs and 5,907 anal swabs. Detection of SARS-CoV-2 was performed by a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test. This test looks for the genetic code of the virus in host cell samples.

Of all the participants in the study, only two staff members from different day care centers tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. One of them was asymptomatic and was unaware that it was infected at the time of testing. Others were symptomatological. All of these two day care center staff and children were sent to home quarantine. None of the children studied tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.

At the end of the study, scientists conducted a study to see if participants were diagnosed with COVID-19 during their home quarantine period. However, none of them reported having a positive diagnosis.

In the study area, the overall prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was lower in the general population and in children under 6 years of age during the study period. The number of cases of COVID-19 varies by region and study week, but the highest prevalence was 66 per 100,000 inhabitants.

Significance of research

The findings show that in areas with low prevalence of COVID-19, the risk of active SARS-CoV-2 infection among children and day care center staff may be significantly lower. Unlike other respiratory viruses, such as the influenza A virus, which is more susceptible to infection in children, SARS-CoV-2 appears to be rarely transmitted through children, at least in restricted settings. ..

This study shows that schools and day care centers do not appear to be potential hubs of viral infection, at least in areas where the overall incidence of COVID-19 cases is low. Proper implementation of control measures, such as restricting access to facilities, may be essential to curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2.

*Important Notices

medRxiv Publish preliminary scientific reports that should not be considered definitive as they are not peer-reviewed, guide clinical / health-related behaviors, and should not be treated as established information.