Secondary attack rate in household contacts of COVID-19 Paediatric index cases: a study from Western India
Komal Shah1, Yogini Kandre1, Dileep Mavalankar1
1Department of Public Health, Indian Institute of Public Health at Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar 382042, Gujarat, India.
Insights
The secondary attack rate (SAR) of COVID-19 from pediatric cases in households is low at 1.7%. Larger family size was associated with increased household transmission, suggesting targeted quarantine strategies.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- The role of pediatric cases in COVID-19 secondary transmission remains unclear.
- Understanding transmission dynamics from children is crucial for effective control measures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the secondary attack rate (SAR) of COVID-19 in household contacts of pediatric index cases.
- To identify factors associated with household transmission originating from children in Gujarat, India.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study analyzed data from 2412 pediatric patients.
- Stratified random sampling selected 242 patients for telephonic follow-up.
- 72 pediatric index cases and their 287 household contacts were included to determine SAR.
Main Results:
- The overall household SAR was 1.7% (95% CI: 0.74-4%).
- Index cases were predominantly male (94.4%) and aged 12-18 years (74%).
- Larger family size was significantly associated with secondary household infections (P=0.034).
Conclusions:
- Pediatric COVID-19 cases exhibit a low household SAR.
- Family size is a key factor influencing secondary transmission from pediatric cases.
- Home quarantine recommendations should consider family size and isolation capacity.
Background:
Role of pediatric cases in secondary transmission of COVID-19 is not well understood. We aim to study secondary attack rate (SAR) of COVID-19 in household contacts of pediatric index cases from Gujarat, Western Indian state.
Methods:
For this cross-sectional study, details of 2412 paediatric patients were collected from Government records. Through stratified random sampling 10% (n = 242) of the patients were selected for the study and were telephonically contacted for obtaining the details of household secondary infection; 72 pediatric index cases having 287 household contacts were included in the study.
Results:
The SAR in household contacts of pediatric index cases was 1.7% (95% CI: 0.74-4%). Majority of the index cases were males (94.4%) with 66% of the patients being admitted at various hospitals and isolation facilities (45%); 37% were home quarantine. Of 72, 50 (74%) cases were aged between 12 and 18 years. The family size of the index cases causing secondary infection was comparatively larger than index cases without secondary household infection (6.75 ± 2.3 versus 4.9 ± 1.9; P = 0.034).
Conclusions:
The household SAR from pediatric patients is low and is closely associated with the family size of the index cases. Hence, home quarantine should be advocated in smaller families with appropriate isolation facilities.
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