Viral dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant in Paediatric Patients; A prospective cohort study.

SARS-CoV-2 children viral dynamics viral load

Journal

Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
ISSN: 1537-6591
Titre abrégé: Clin Infect Dis
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 9203213

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
12 Dec 2023
Historique:
received: 18 08 2023
revised: 20 11 2023
accepted: 01 12 2023
medline: 12 12 2023
pubmed: 12 12 2023
entrez: 12 12 2023
Statut: aheadofprint

Résumé

There are limited data on the viral dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in children. Understanding viral load changes over the course of illness and duration of viral shedding may provide insight into transmission dynamics to inform public health and infection control decisions. We conducted a prospective cohort study of children 18 years and younger with PCR confirmed SARS-CoV-2 between February 1, 2022 and March 14, 2022. SARS-CoV-2 testing occurred on daily samples for 10 days; a subset of participants completed daily rapid antigen testing (RAT). Viral RNA trajectories were described in relation to symptom onset and resolution. The associations between both time since symptom onset/resolution and non-infectious viral load were evaluated using a Cox proportional hazards model. Among 101 children aged 2 to 17 years, the median time to study-defined non-infectious viral load was 5 days post symptom onset, with 75% meeting this threshold by 7 days, and 90% by 10 days. On the day of and day after symptom resolution, 43 of 87 (49%) and 52 (60%) had met the non-infectious thresholds, respectively. Of the 50 participants completing RAT, positivity at symptom onset and on the day after symptom onset was 67% (16/24) and 75% (14/20). On the first day where the non-infectious threshold was met, 61% (n = 27/44) of participant RAT results were positive. Children often met the study-defined non-infectiousness threshold on the day after symptom resolution. RAT tests were often negative early in the course of illness and should not be relied on to exclude infection. NCT05240183.

Sections du résumé

BACKGROUND BACKGROUND
There are limited data on the viral dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in children. Understanding viral load changes over the course of illness and duration of viral shedding may provide insight into transmission dynamics to inform public health and infection control decisions.
METHODS METHODS
We conducted a prospective cohort study of children 18 years and younger with PCR confirmed SARS-CoV-2 between February 1, 2022 and March 14, 2022. SARS-CoV-2 testing occurred on daily samples for 10 days; a subset of participants completed daily rapid antigen testing (RAT). Viral RNA trajectories were described in relation to symptom onset and resolution. The associations between both time since symptom onset/resolution and non-infectious viral load were evaluated using a Cox proportional hazards model.
FINDINGS RESULTS
Among 101 children aged 2 to 17 years, the median time to study-defined non-infectious viral load was 5 days post symptom onset, with 75% meeting this threshold by 7 days, and 90% by 10 days. On the day of and day after symptom resolution, 43 of 87 (49%) and 52 (60%) had met the non-infectious thresholds, respectively. Of the 50 participants completing RAT, positivity at symptom onset and on the day after symptom onset was 67% (16/24) and 75% (14/20). On the first day where the non-infectious threshold was met, 61% (n = 27/44) of participant RAT results were positive.
INTERPRETATION CONCLUSIONS
Children often met the study-defined non-infectiousness threshold on the day after symptom resolution. RAT tests were often negative early in the course of illness and should not be relied on to exclude infection.
CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION BACKGROUND
NCT05240183.

Identifiants

pubmed: 38084906
pii: 7469948
doi: 10.1093/cid/ciad740
pii:
doi:

Banques de données

ClinicalTrials.gov
['NCT05240183']

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Sous-ensembles de citation

IM

Informations de copyright

© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Auteurs

Michelle Science (M)

Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Julia Orkin (J)

Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Division of Paediatric Medicine, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Child Health Evaluative Sciences, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Bryan Maguire (B)

Biostatistics Design and Analysis Unit, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Ari Bitnun (A)

Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Laura Bourns (L)

Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Antoine Corbeil (A)

Public Health Ontario Laboratory, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Jennie Johnstone (J)

Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Unity Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Liane Macdonald (L)

Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Kevin L Schwartz (KL)

Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Unity Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Cindy Bruce Barrett (C)

The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Jessica Reinprecht (J)

The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Alice Heisey (A)

The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Stephanie Nasso (S)

The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Peter Jüni (P)

University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Aaron Campigotto (A)

Division of Microbiology, Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Classifications MeSH