Nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 viral loads in young children do not differ significantly from those in older children and adults

The role of children in the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has become a matter of urgent debate as societies in the US and abroad consider how to safely reopen schools. Small studies have suggested higher viral loads in young children. Here we present a multicenter investigation on over five thousand SARS-CoV-2 cases confirmed by real-time reverse transcription (RT) PCR assay. Notably, we found no discernable difference in amount of viral nucleic acid among young children and adults.

Automated summary

Current studies show that there is no significant difference in viral nucleic acid levels between young children and adults. This provides some insights for the safe reopening of schools.