Children do infect adults

[cantory]

In a paper, published in the British journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases, the researchers said: 'Notably, the rate of infection in children younger than 10 years (7.4 per cent) was similar to the population average (6.6 per cent).
There was no significant association between the probability of infection and age of the index case.'

This meant that children were as likely as adults to both catch the virus and to spread it.

The researchers added: 'Analyses of how cases are detected, and use of data on individuals exposed but not infected, indicate that infection rates in young children are not lower than the population average (even if rates of clinical disease are).'

@ChipotleBlessing

If you read my post again, you’ll see that I never mentioned ‘responding to an infection’, but did make reference to ‘spreading the infection’.

Clearly your remark about education is valid... response and spread are quite two different things.

BBC news reported the other day that from the countries who had been contact tracing etc they found not one adult had contracted it from a Child??

@DBML, spreading is, rather obviously, a subcategory of responding in this instance.

It seems entirely plausible children don’t spread it the same rate as adults. They mostly don’t get as sick as adults so the disease doesn’t take hold the same way, even if this doesn’t translate directly to spreading it less, why shouldn’t other elements also be different from adults?
I’m in australia and we didnt close daycares. We also didn’t close aged care and hospitals etc, and we have had numerous clusters from aged care centres, medical facilities and a couple of parties. Residents in aged care centres don’t crawl all over each other all day slobbering in each other’s faces like in childcares although medical centres and parties depending on the type are more full of high transmission activities. Zero childcare centre clusters. The odd worker or child, very low numbers and not linked. Two people in the one Kmart, 2 people on each of a couple construction sites (which also stayed open).

@ChipotleBlessing

Ok, so if you forget how people respond and take two individuals.

1. A covid infected man who is coughing
2. A covid infected child who is coughing

Will they or will they not both spread the virus?

@DBML they both will, but the adult coughs more for longer, so is more likely to infect another. As was explained to me upthread.

@Barbie222

And this is true to all adults and all children?

And another example.

Teacher attend school with a mild cough. Does not think it’s covid-19. Coughs into hands and hands out pens/books etc

Can those children, now contaminated, take that virus home to their parents?

@DBML 🤷‍♀️ who knows. But you can expel the virus without someone picking it up, I can see that. If you cough more you expel more so more likely someone else comes into contact with your droplets. A lot presumably depends on the nature of interaction between the parties. My youngest could cough very little but as I am in more or less constant contact with her she might transmit it to me quicker than my teenage DS, who can cough away in his room, expelling more of the bad stuff,but it's already fallen on the floor and dying before I come into his room.

@Barbie222

Thank you

Denmark schools that have been outside, 6 foot apart inside and only primary and nurseries caused a 0.3 raise that doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room. It could be adult spread so doesn't help either way. But interesting.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.thelocal.dk/20200430/reopening-denmark-has-increased-rate-of-infection-spread-ssu/amp

Think Germany had similar. But Denmark had enough wiggle room at 0.6.

I have read that asymptomatic cases have a lower R0 factor than symptomatic or pre-symptomatic cases. Since children (and pregnant women) are quite often asymptomatic SARS-CoV2 carriers, they would rather spread it on surfaces than directly to other ppl by coughing or sneezing. However, the German SARS-CoV expert and virologist Christian Drosten, found that infected children carry the same viral load as infected adults.

Yes, like Barbie says there are lot of variables. Not everyone or everything that is a potential infection risk has an equal chance of passing on the virus in every situation.

It makes sense to me that if children are generally only mildly affected then they will be coughing less and will also have a lower viral load, both of which appear to significantly reduce the risk of infecting others. So far the evidence seems to support this.

That doesn't mean that children can never pass the virus on. WHO say they have seen evidence that it happens but it's not that common.

However, the German SARS-CoV expert and virologist Christian Drosten, found that infected children carry the same viral load as infected adults.

Do you have a link? Do you know if carrying a high viral load means you shed a lot of virus?

Wouldn't you have to allow for behaviour as well? I mean if you look at 3 and 4 year olds they are very touchy feely with each other, lick each other's faces, put toys in their mouth etc. Adults rarely do this sort of thing (hopefully) so if the risk of infection is the same then surely adding in the behaviour would mean children would pass it more. I'm not sure if that makes sense but I know what I mean.

Thats with clases of 10.

The q is who are those that have been hospitalised? Parents, teachers? Students? Preschool.
Surely it will continue to climb as those infect more people.

We've already got many more cases spreading it so more to spread round school when they go back

@LangClegsInSpace

Unfortunately I have only the German link: www.swr.de/wissen/corona-kinder-100.html

Experts generally say that a high viral load is mainly transmitted by aerosols - when you get coughed or sneezed at. There is usually less viral spread on surfaces and ppl don’t unusually get enough viral load by touching surfaces. It‘s more diluted, I guess.

Virology is interesting though.

In HIV, nowadays if you are treated with medication you are unable to transmit the virus to another person because the level in your blood isn’t enough to infect someone.

Maybe if children only have low levels of viral loading they can catch it but not transmit?

Pure speculation but possible.

Personally, I not be taking any risks.

• don’t usually get

Behaviour wise
My 7yo coughed on me on purpose the other day.
And 4yo would not stop blowing raspberries at me and also had her water bottle and was spouting it everywhere.
She also had the door handle in her mouth.

Also if they are saying things like crying and singing spread it more..

Would yours behave like that at school though Keepdistance?! Mine wouldn’t dare do that at home, and certainly not at school!

Well I say ‘wouldn’t dare’, it just wouldn’t occur to them.

It’s a bit random to suggest it’s danish schools that have let the R rise. Loads of other things have reopened, even stuff like hairdressers.

Wouldn't you have to allow for behaviour as well? I mean if you look at 3 and 4 year olds they are very touchy feely with each other, lick each other's faces, put toys in their mouth etc. Adults rarely do this sort of thing (hopefully) so if the risk of infection is the same then surely adding in the behaviour would mean children would pass it more.

Yes but again, childcare in Australia has been open throughout. Significantly lower attendance but still 20 1-4 year olds meeting and climbing all over each other. Hasn’t led to a single cluster of virus cases.