Prevalence and Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Childcare Facilities: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract Objectives Previous data indicate that children might play a less crucial role in SARS-CoV-2 transmission than initially assumed. We conducted a study to gain further knowledge on prevalence, transmission and spread of SARS-CoV-2 among preschool children, their parents and caretakers.Methods Children, their parents and care givers in 14 childcare facilities in Dresden, Saxony/ Germany were invited to participate in the KiTaCoviDD19-study between July 2020 and January 2021. Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was assessed up to 4 times during the study period in all participating adults and personal characteristics as well as epidemiological information of personal SARS-CoV-2 history were obtained. Stool viral shedding of SARS-CoV-2 was analyzed every 2-4 weeks in all participating children.Results In total, 318 children, 299 parents and 233 childcare workers were enrolled. The percentage of seropositive adults and SARS-CoV-2 positive detected children rose considerably by January 2021. However, the rate of SARS-CoV-2 positive children was considerably lower than the rate of seropositive adults. Overall, we detected a maximum of three connected cases in children. About 50% of SARS-CoV-2 infections in children could not be connected to a secondary case within our study population.Conclusion The study could not provide evidence for a relevant asymptomatic (“silent”) spread of SARS-CoV-2 in childcare facilities, neither in a low nor a high prevalence setting. This finding adds to the evidence that childcare and educational settings do not play a crucial role in driving the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.Table of Contents Summary This longitudinal study among children, parents and childcare workers provides further insight on SARS-CoV-2 prevalence and transmission within childcare facilities.What’s Known on This Subject Based on age distribution of SARS-CoV-2 infections and previous data of very limited spread of COVID-19 among primary and secondary schools there is reason to believe that children play a less crucial role in SARS-CoV-2 transmission than initially assumed.What This Study Adds Previously published studies focus mainly on SARS-CoV-2 transmission in schools. This longitudinal study provides information on prevalence, transmission and spread of SARS-CoV-2 within childcare facilities during low- and high-prevalence settings..

Medienart:

Preprint

Erscheinungsjahr:

2021

Erschienen:

2021

Enthalten in:

bioRxiv.org - (2021) vom: 21. Apr. Zur Gesamtaufnahme - year:2021

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Haag, Luise [VerfasserIn]
Blankenburg, Judith [VerfasserIn]
Unrath, Manja [VerfasserIn]
Grabietz, Johanna [VerfasserIn]
Kahre, Elisabeth [VerfasserIn]
Galow, Lukas [VerfasserIn]
Schneider, Josephine [VerfasserIn]
Dalpke, Alexander H. [VerfasserIn]
Lück, Christian [VerfasserIn]
Büttner, Leo [VerfasserIn]
Berner, Reinhard [VerfasserIn]
Armann, Jakob P. [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext [kostenfrei]

doi:

10.1101/2021.04.16.21255616

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

XBI020376162