• COVID-19 household transmission is high,

    From ScienceDaily@1:317/3 to All on Tuesday, April 12, 2022 22:30:42
    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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