RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Role of children in household transmission of COVID-19
JF Archives of Disease in Childhood
JO Arch Dis Child
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
SP 709
OP 711
DO 10.1136/archdischild-2020-319910
VO 106
IS 7
A1 Jieun Kim
A1 Young June Choe
A1 Jin Lee
A1 Young Joon Park
A1 Ok Park
A1 Mi Seon Han
A1 Jong-Hyun Kim
A1 Eun Hwa Choi
YR 2021
UL http://adc.bmj.com/content/106/7/709.abstract
AB Objective Transmissibility of COVID-19 by children in the household is not clear. Herein, we describe children’s role in household transmission of COVID-19.Design and setting All paediatric COVID-19 index cases and their household members reported from 20 January to 6 April 2020 in South Korea were reviewed. The secondary attack rate (SAR) from child index case to household secondary case was calculated. Epidemiological and clinical findings of child index case-household secondary case pair was assessed.Results A total of 107 paediatric COVID-19 index cases and 248 of their household members were identified. One pair of paediatric index-secondary household case was identified, giving a household SAR of 0.5% (95% CI 0.0% to 2.6%). The index case was self-quarantined at home after international travel, stayed in her room, but shared a meal table with the secondary case.Conclusion The SAR from children to household members was low in the setting of social distancing, underscoring the importance of rigorous contact tracing and early isolation in limiting transmission within households.Data are available on reasonable request. The investigation was a part of public health response and all data are protected under the Personal Information Protection Act, enacted 30 September 2011.